# Zydrunas Ilgauskas Picture/Update Thread



## remy23

At 2:30 today, there will be a press conference for the re-signing of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. So try to catch it if you can.

*Cavaliers to announce re-signing of C Ilgauskas on Tuesday*



> CLEVELAND (TICKER) -- Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will officially re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
> 
> The team has scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. EDT.
> 
> According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ilgauskas agreed to a five-year deal worth up to $60 million two months ago, but the team never announced the agreement.
> 
> The Cavaliers made three major offseason additions, signing guards Larry Hughes and Damon Jones and forward Donyell Marshall as free agents.
> 
> The 30-year-old Ilgauskas, who has played all seven of his seasons with Cleveland, averaged 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds in 78 games last season. He led the NBA with 299 offensive rebounds, ranked sixth with 165 blocks and was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the second time in three years.
> 
> After suffering through myriad foot injuries early in his career, the 7-3, 260-pounder has been a constant presence in the middle for the Cavaliers. Ilgauskas has missed just six games over the last three seasons and has increased his minutes in each campaign.
> 
> In 413 career games, the Lithuania native has averaged 14.9 points and 7.7 rebounds.


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## KingoftheCourt23

I'm really happy that they re-signed Z. I like him alot.


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## remy23

*Press Conference Notes*

The clip from the conference is up on the main page at nba.com if you want to watch it. Here's my brief summary of it:

Ferry opened with a funny story about Zydrunas asking if they had to hold a press conference to announce his re-signing and if there had to be one, not to make it a big deal. It was a nice, light-hearted moment. Coach Brown made a few brief comments and the microphone went to Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Ilgauskas said Cleveland has become a home to him and his family. He said from a basketball standpoint, it would have been hard to leave Cleveland because if he went somewhere else, he’d be checking the scores to keep tabs on how Cleveland was doing. Zydrunas feels good about the improved roster as well.

Cub Cadet (lawn equipment company) has joined with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization (multi-year deal) and in the course of the conference, Ilgauskas was given the “Z” as a gift (a tractor). 

Ferry took the microphone again and a question-and-answer period began. Ilgauskas said being on a winning team at this point in his career was a big factor in his decision. He wants to win and believes the Cavaliers are a winning team moving in the right direction. Ferry was asked about Jay Williams and what he thought about Williams' comeback. Ferry said he is excited seeing Jay try to play basketball again but said he wasn’t ready to play in the NBA right now. But Ferry said he will keep an eye on Jay's progress, like all the other teams in the league will. 

The question-and-answer period ended and Ferrry wrapped things up by saying he hopes the Cavaliers can become a great Ohio story (like Cub Cadet).


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## ¹²³

Big Z and Ferry. Lebron and AV. This team will be fine.


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## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 09/14/2005 | Staying at home thrills Ilgauskas*

*Cavs' center makes it official by signing deal*



> *VALLEY CITY, OHIO -* When Zydrunas Ilgauskas first arrived in Cleveland from Lithuania all he could think of was home. When it came to his first summer of free agency, all he could think of was Cleveland as home.
> 
> Ilgauskas signed a five-year, $53 million contract to remain with the Cavaliers on Tuesday.
> 
> Ilgauskas agreed to the deal back in July, but waited until now to sign it because it gave the Cavs salary-cap advantages when signing other free agents.
> 
> For the Cavs, it meant keeping a two-time All-Star who has been healthy for five years and is in the prime of his career. For Ilgauskas, it gave him long-term security and kept him in his American home.
> 
> *"When push came to shove, I just had a hard time realizing being anywhere but in a Cavs uniform,'' Ilgauskas said at a news conference at Cub Cadet headquarters. "It has become home to me and my family.''*
> 
> When Ilgauskas left Gund Arena the day after last season ended, the vibes were strong that he'd played his last game with the Cavs. Things started to turn around when Mike Brown was hired as coach and told ownership he'd like to have Ilgauskas re-signed.
> 
> Then Danny Ferry, one of Ilgauskas' good friends, was hired as the general manager and he, too, wanted Z back.
> 
> "From Day One I wanted Z here,'' Brown said. "He's going to be the anchor of our defense, an anchor of our offense.''
> 
> Ferry talked Ilgauskas and his agent, Herb Rudoy, into taking a $5 million cut in pay this season. Ilgauskas, completing a six-year, $70.8 million deal, made $14.6 million last season but starts his new contract at approximately $9.2 million.
> 
> But Ferry gave Ilgauskas a five-year deal, two years longer than the Cavs' original offer. The two sides worked through the complex insurance issues with his feet and an accord was struck.
> 
> By the end of the deal, Gordon Gund and Dan Gilbert will have paid Ilgauskas more than $125 million in 14 years.
> 
> *"At the end of the season, I knew there was a good chance I wouldn't be back. We didn't have a coach or a general manager,'' said Ilgauskas, who averaged 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds in making his second All-Star team. "If I didn't feel like this team was going to win, I wouldn't care if my dad owned the team, I wasn't going to stay.
> 
> "Now when I talk to LeBron (James), we can't wait for training camp to start.''*
> 
> With new weapons around him, namely Larry Hughes and Damon Jones, Ilgauskas' enthusiasm about his team has never been higher.
> 
> "When I first came to Cleveland I was a scared kid, 20 years old and if somebody would've given me the chance I would've gone back the same day,'' he said. "Hasn't been a lot of moments to cheer in the last nine years I've been here but I want to be part of this new beginning.''
> 
> *Henderson next*
> 
> The Cavaliers are out of salary-cap room but can still sign players to minimum contracts. They are expected to sign forward/center Alan Henderson, who averaged 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 72 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season, to a $1,138,500 one-year deal. Henderson avoided jail time Monday when he pleaded to a lessor charge stemming from an arrest in July when he brought a gun to JFK Airport. Henderson, 32, will perform 10 days' community service and pay a $500 fine.
> 
> *Assistants hired*
> 
> The Cavs officially hired Michael Malone and Melvin Hunt as assistant coaches Tuesday. Malone, the son of former Cavs interim head coach Brendan Malone, spent the past four seasons with the New York Knicks. Hunt was an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers last season and also was an assistant with the Houston Rockets. They will join lead assistant Hank Egan, who was hired in June, on Brown's staff.


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## remy23

*Zydrunas Ilgauskas Mailbag*

*Zydrunas Ilgauskas Mailbag*



> *When Danny Ferry took over as Cavaliers GM, he said one of his highest priorities was re-signing All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and he did just that. The large Lithuanian is the Cavaliers last link to their playoff past and will certainly be part of their playoff future.
> 
> We offered fans a chance to write in to our Player Mailbox and ask Z whatever's on your mind. Z answered questions ranging from his tutelege of his young protege, Martynas Andriuskevicius to what he does in his spare time. Enjoy!*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Kenny
> *City:* Berea
> *State:* OH
> *Comments:* Z, what is your favorite restaurant around town?
> 
> *Zydrunas Ilgauskas:* That’s a good question. Probably the kitchen in my house. My wife is the best cook. I love home cooking.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Zilvinas P.
> *City:* Cleveland
> *State:* Ohio
> *Comments:* I have two questions; when or ever you are going to play for Lithuania In Olympics and did you or do you ever visit the Large Lithuanian Community that is in Cleveland?
> 
> *Z:* Well, I’ve been to the community a few times. I never call on purpose; I just show up. I live her during the season and during the summer, I’m in and out. During the season, it’s hard. I live on the west side and my schedule gets really busy and you get caught up in the everyday things, so hopefully in the future I’ll have time to get up there, because the first few times I really enjoyed it.
> 
> As far as the (Lithuanian) national team, it’s really not up to me. Insurance questions – with this new contract I don’t think a lot of insurance companies would cover my feet. There are really a lot of issues with insurance. And just my health; you know, I’ve been healthy, I’ve stuck to my regimen this year and for the last four years and I’ve been healthy (knock on wood). So I don’t want to mess with it, but also you never say never. It’s something every basketball player wants to do and like I said, I haven’t put a clock on it, but my concern right now is with the Cavs.
> 
> I don’t know if my body can handle year-round basketball and it really wouldn’t be fair to the Cavs if I played for the national team and came back and broke down. So I’m afraid of that, especially considering all the injuries I’ve had.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Quentin
> *City:* Cleveland
> *State:* OH
> *Comments:* I heard that (Danny) Ferry played a practical joke on you your rookie year? What was it and how did you get him back?
> 
> *Z:* The one joke that we had, it was me and Vitaly (Potapenko), Danny came back after his knee surgery into the Clinic and me and Vitaly broke his crutches in half and let the air out of the tires on his car. So he couldn’t get to the airport with no crutches and no car.
> 
> And the way he got me back, one day my parents were supposed to fly into town and I went to get them from the airport and when we came back downtown to my place and while I was gone he broke into my place and put all my furniture and all my clothes and my TV into the bathroom and into the bath tub. It looked like either someone had robbed me or that no one lived there.
> 
> But it wasn’t a pretty sight when you bring your parents in for a visit.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Indre
> *City:* Kaunas
> *State:* Lithuania
> Comments: Labas! How are you doing? My question is what else are you interesting besides basketball? What do you like to do in your free time, what are your other hobbies? (If you have a free time.) thanx! Take care and All the BEST!
> 
> *Z:* I like going to the movies. I like reading books. A lot of times, I'll just sit around watching TV. (I'm hooked on FOXNews and CNN.) I'm more of a homebody. Being a professional athlete, you're always in the public eye and when you have free time you like to get away and spend time with your family and just get away.
> 
> I play golf in the summer, but not much anymore. I gave up. I gave it my best shot.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Kyle
> *City:* Medina
> *State:* Ohio
> *Comments:* How old were you when you could first dunk, and how tall were you at the time?
> 
> *Z:* Hmm. I was 15 years old. It wasn’t because of my athletic ability, it was only because of my height. It was a great feeling. I wanted to do it all day long.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Douglar
> *City:* Cleveland
> *State:* OH
> *Comments:* What advice are you giving Martynas Andriuskevicius?
> 
> *Z:* Right now I’m trying not to burden him too much because it’s a new country and a new culture and he needs to settle in. I know what I went through trying to find a place to live, trying to find a car and learning your way around. So if he asks, I’ll give him advice, but I try not to burden him too much.
> 
> He’s young – 19 years old – but he’s not five, so I’d rather be more a friend than a father. He came to me a few times and we’ve talked. Mostly about the chances of two kids from the same high school playing on the Cavs.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Derrick
> *City:* Winnipeg
> *State:* Canada
> *Comments:* How is it playing against Shaq? And how does it compare to anybody in the league?
> 
> *Z:* Playing against Shaq is like pushing against a concrete wall. There’s nobody like him. In all my years in the NBA, I’ve never run into someone who is such a physical specimen. I’ve never seen anyone close to him. He’s got the perfect combination of power, speed and agility.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Wayne
> *City:* Cleveland
> *State:* Ohio
> *Comments:* Z, are your parents as tall as you are? Or did you just spring up some how?
> 
> *Z:* My parents are a little bit taller than average. My dad’s about 6-6, my mom’s about 5-10 and my sister is about 5-10, but nobody in the family is like me. My dad comes from a family with 11 kids, so I have a ton of cousins, but nobody like me. I got lucky, I guess.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* Dave
> *City:* Euclid
> *State:* OH
> *Comments:* Did it hurt when your best friend Sarunas decided not to sign with the Cavs because he felt another team had a better chance of winning?
> 
> *Z:* I was disappointed a little bit. Not in his decision, but because we weren’t going to able to play together. We were best friends since we were six years old. He was the best man in my wedding. Our friendship goes far beyond basketball. Basketball is just something that we do at the same time.
> 
> First of all, I was just glad that he was coming to the NBA, because I knew he always had the skills but the opportunity never presented itself. He became a great player in Europe and I wish him well.
> 
> Did I want him as a teammate with the Cavaliers? Absolutely. But it was Sarunas’ decision and you have to respect that.
> 
> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
> 
> *First Name:* David
> *City:* Bethesda
> *State:* Maryland
> *Comments:* How was the experience of having to move to the states to play in the NBA?
> 
> *Z:* I had a lot of struggles at first. It was the first time away from my family and friends. I didn’t know the language that well. Right from the start I got hurt, so I couldn’t even play basketball. I was doing rehab by myself. It wasn’t easy but I had a lot of good people around me – whether it was teammates or just friends that I found or people within the organization.
> 
> I had some bad and good times, but things have been pretty good lately.


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## Cap

*Re: Zydrunas Ilgauskas Mailbag*

Big Z is such a vital part of this team. Having a big men with his skills is extremely rare at his size and it's good that he's still young enough where the Cavs' window will last several years, barring freak injury or that old foot problem. 

Just as long as everyone is healthy.


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## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 10/31/2005 | Injuries in the past, Ilgauskas looks to future*











> *Injuries in the past, Ilgauskas looks to future*
> 
> *Cavaliers center happy in Cleveland, likes team*
> 
> By Brian Windhorst
> Beacon Journal sports writer
> 
> *CLEVELAND -* Zydrunas Ilgauskas used to view season openers like plane landings: If he walked away, he was happy.
> 
> Nearly five years removed from his debilitating foot injuries, the Cavaliers center has become more of a sage. He's married, has a new dog and is comfortable at the start of a rich five-year contract. In other words, he has his health, money and a best friend.
> 
> His contentment is only stunted by the fact he hasn't been to the playoffs since he was a rookie, which is what he's really thinking about as the Cavs head into their opener Wednesday night against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets at Quicken Loans Arena.
> 
> “When I was young, the opener seemed like the end of the world to me,” Ilgauskas said. “Two hours later it was over and it was like, OK, now there's six more months to go. So, for me, the anxiety is gone, but I think it is more intense.''
> 
> Even though he made the All-Star team last season, it was rocky for the big Lithuanian. The owner that he became very close to, Gordon Gund, sold the team. The coach was fired. What he thought was a sure playoff season wasted away. He went through a nasty finger injury that forced him to play the last month of the season in almost never-ending pain. Then he headed to free agency thinking that there was a strong chance that he'd be playing elsewhere this season.
> 
> “Last year there wasn't much fun,'' Ilgauskas said. “We took a nose dive. I knew that this team was going to be on the rise. I knew that even though we didn't get it done last year that there are good things coming and I thought it sucked that I might have to go somewhere else.
> 
> “I told myself I've been through too many bad times not to be here for this.''
> 
> Then Danny Ferry, a friend from his playing days, was hired as the general manager. Ferry, owner Dan Gilbert and new coach Mike Brown reached out to him and he agreed to take a $5 million dollar paycut this season in exchange for staying in Cleveland and getting a five-year deal.
> 
> Ilgauskas showed up at training camp ready to go and performed like a player in his prime. He was the only Cav to start all eight preseason games. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and shot 54 percent from the floor.
> 
> Ilgauskas knows that he'll be asked to do different things this season. First, with new offensive weapons around him, he needs to pass out of the double teams that come his way. In the past he's often just tried to force things.
> 
> The second is to defend the pick-and-roll better. He's often a target on defense as teams try to draw him away from the basket and take advantage of his lack of foot speed. In the preseason, he's shown improved technique.
> 
> “We have new faces, and those guys are going to determine how good we are going to be,'' Ilgauskas said. “In the past, I felt like if I had a bad game we didn't have a chance to win. That isn't the case anymore.''


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## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 11/16/2005 | Ilgauskas has sleeping problem under control*











> *Ilgauskas has sleeping problems under control*
> 
> *CLEVELAND -* It's not easy being 7-foot-3.
> 
> Zydrunas Ilgauskas is richly rewarded for his height and talents, but there are still life's issues. One key issue for the Cavaliers center is regular sleep.
> 
> The season has started again, and so have Ilgauskas' bouts of insomnia. It was a problem that first cropped up at the start of last season and something he might have to deal with in spurts for the rest of his playing career.
> 
> He has it under control and treats it with medication when needed, but there are still rough patches.
> 
> “I slept just fine in the offseason,'' he said. “I guess it is just the traveling during the season that gets me.''
> 
> It started last season, when the Cavs had a harsh road trip to start the year, a double-overtime home game followed by a three-hour flight to Miami that didn't get the Cavs to their hotel until after 3 a.m.
> 
> The night after the Miami game, he wasn't able to fall asleep at all. Then the team had a practice and another three-hour flight to Milwaukee. He scored just nine points against the Bucks.
> 
> He eventually overcame it, going on to appear in his second All-Star Game.
> 
> “It is one of those things I have to deal with,'' Ilgauskas said. “The pills work when I have a problem.''
> 
> *RECORD RUN --* LeBron James started Tuesday night with 4,016 career points, being the youngest player to reach that plateau. He'll likely be the youngest to reach 5,000 and beyond. What might be more impressive, though, is breaking the Cavs' career scoring record before his 24th birthday.
> 
> Averaging 22.4 points in 167 career games, James is on schedule to break Brad Daugherty's team scoring record of 10,389 points around the spring of 2009. Barring significant injury or -- gasp -- free-agent defection, James is on pace to do it in 464 games. Daugherty played 548 games.
> 
> *DRIBBLES --* Heading into Tuesday night's game, Donyell Marshall had the highest rebounding average (8.9) of any nonstarter in the NBA.... Wizards coach Eddie Jordan was a second-round pick of the Cavs in 1977.... Luke Jackson got a rare haircut. Said Jackson: "I did it to become more aerodynamic.''


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## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 11/27/2005 | When the going gets tough, don't forget Z*











> *Windhorst on the Cavaliers*
> 
> *When the going gets tough, don’t forget Z*
> 
> *Cavaliers need to remember their All-Star center can help when the revamped offense is struggling*
> 
> By Brian Windhorst
> 
> The Cavaliers have an All-Star center.
> 
> Even casual fans know this. Considering they just signed him to a $50 million contract, you can bet the Cavs know it, too.
> 
> So it is hard to fathom how sometimes Zydrunas Ilgauskas is forgotten.
> 
> There's no denying the Cavs have a potent offense; when they're running and gunning with their vast array of weapons, they are the best in the NBA. LeBron James is often unstoppable going to the hole, Larry Hughes can score from anywhere and Damon Jones' and Donyell Marshall's shooting add an entire new element.
> 
> Coach Mike Brown's decision to sit Ilgauskas and go with a smaller and quicker lineup for stretches is well-founded. Reducing Ilgauskas' minutes from their record highs of last season is also prudent.
> 
> But it seems as if when they need him the most, the Cavs too often forget they have such a talent as the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian. Their offense struggles when they face a team that slows the game down and makes them execute in halfcourt sets, an obvious issue since day one.
> 
> The teams that are best at this are the best in the league, notably Detroit, Indiana and San Antonio. This has been obvious in the Cavs' blowout losses against the Pacers and Spurs as they've wheezed offensively when their driving lanes and fastbreak points were taken away.
> 
> This is why having a skilled center is valuable, but the Cavs thus far are under-using Ilgauskas in these moments. In their first three losses, Big Z has averaged just eight points.
> 
> There are circumstances surrounding that stat, but it makes a point. In last week's loss at Indiana, there didn't appear to be enough of an effort to get Z involved even when it was clear that Hughes, because of sickness, and James, because of Ron Artest, weren't going to be able to get it done.
> 
> Ilgauskas is guilty of not passing out of double-teams and letting the offense stagnate. In traffic, sometimes he attempts to draw fouls or get a shot up and try to get the offensive rebound instead of looking for a teammate. He averages less than one assist per game. He even admits he needs to see the floor better. That is his end of the deal.
> 
> With his length, shooting touch, free-throw accuracy and back to the basket ability, Ilgauskas is probably the second-best offensive pure center in the NBA after Shaquille O'Neal. The Cavs' end of the deal is to remember that he's there, especially when the going gets tough.
> 
> *Dribbles*
> 
> • One of the ways to upset the rest of your teammates is to dribble the ball too much, which is what has driven some of Steve Francis' and Stephon Marbury's mates batty. So pick your spots, but according to a few scouts, James would do well to keep his dribble more. James has gotten better at going to the basket and at free-throw shooting, which is why he's off to such a good start.
> 
> Sometimes, though, he picks up his dribble and looks to pass when he doesn't see a lane. Trained observers suggest he look to keep his dribble and be more patient when looking to go to the basket.
> 
> • He's a great defender and he's from Cleveland, but don't expect the Cavs to pursue Ruben Patterson, whose time in Portland is at an end. He might be the kind of player the Cavs want, but insiders say management considers chemistry as much as talent, and Patterson doesn't pass.
> 
> • The little flap created this week when the Cavs asked the Seattle SuperSonics to stop using Brendan Malone as a consultant really isn't Malone's fault. All Malone wants to do in life is coach; he wasn't looking to get over on anyone. The Sonics operate on a tight budget and if they had the money, they probably would have hired Malone as a full-time assistant coach. There are no hard feelings from the Cavs over it. In fact, they might use Malone to do some scouting work for them this season.
> 
> • The Cavs spent $40,000 on their player introductions presentation, complete with fireworks and smoke and fire machines. But it caused too much smoke and ash, which bothered players, so it was gutted. Now, fans sit quietly while watching a video in the dark that is way too long, and then they have to be told to stand up when the players are introduced. Here's a friendly tip: It is too bad all the bells and whistles didn't work out, but go back and watch how the Chicago Bulls were introduced in the 1990s. Skip the video and the disco ball, shorten it up and put the focus on the player not the scoreboard.
> 
> • James doesn't get enough credit for how much he gives to charity. He spent a few hundred thousand on Hurricane Katrina relief, and last week he gave away no less than 1,200 turkeys in Cleveland and Akron.
> 
> • The Cavs debuted their new navy jerseys Saturday. After they had a gold jersey last season, talks are under way to release all wine and all orange throwback jerseys in future years. The LeBron fan in your life can have a James jersey rainbow.


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## Kastas

Ilgauskas and Sarunas Jasikevicius(first row, second from left) 1993


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## remy23

*Ilgauskas day-to-day with sprained knee*











> *Ilgauskas day-to-day with sprained knee*
> 
> *December 12, 2005*
> 
> *CLEVELAND (AP) --* Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has a sprained right knee but is expected to play Tuesday night against Atlanta.
> 
> Ilgauskas did not practice Monday and was listed as day-to-day. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said he was confident that Ilgauskas would play against the Hawks.
> 
> He sprained the knee in Cleveland's 111-106 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. The former All-Star scored 20 points in the loss and is averaging 15 points and 7.5 rebounds this season.


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## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 12/16/2005 | Cavaliers keeping watchful eye on Ilgauskas' knee*












> *Cavaliers keeping watchful eye on Ilgauskas' knee*
> 
> *He might need surgery at some point, if he can't play through pain*
> 
> By Brian Windhorst
> Beacon Journal sportswriter
> 
> *CLEVELAND -* The next few days are going to be important when it comes to the future of Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
> 
> The Cavaliers are going to be very closely monitoring how Ilgauskas' ailing right knee reacts to the regular pounding of the season. Ilgauskas missed Tuesday's game with the Atlanta Hawks after the knee swelled up over the weekend.
> 
> Ilgauskas could be able to play through it, but it might cause him to miss more games as the season goes on.
> 
> He underwent an MRI exam, which revealed no damage to the major ligaments but some wearing and minor tearing on the cartilage in the knee. Team doctors have described this as “athlete's knee,'' a condition that might require surgery at some point.
> 
> Ilgauskas can't damage it further by playing, as he did against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, but how it reacts after games could determine what must be done about it. He might be able to play through the soreness and pain, as he has for other injuries in his career. If he experiences the sort of swelling and soreness he did after playing on it in Milwaukee, this could become more serious.
> 
> If that is the case, either the Cavs will have to scale back on his minutes and perhaps sit him on the second night of back-to-backs. Or there might be other options, including surgery, though all parties are trying to avoid it.
> 
> "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,'' Ilgauskas said. “I'm going to have to see how it reacts to playing and treatment.''
> 
> Cavs coach Mike Brown said the team will have to “maintain'' Ilgauskas, which means giving him extra time off until they see how the injury proceeds. That could mean reducing his minutes and keeping him off the practice floor at times, a tactic the team used when bringing him back from his foot surgeries.
> 
> Just how much might have a significant impact on the rest of the Cavs' season.
> 
> *REST IN URL*


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## Benedict_Boozer

This is the problem giving Z that big contract, at his age and injury history he is a disaster waiting to happen. 

Man..If Z goes down we are screwed with Varejao out.


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## remy23

*Dribbles*

*Click Me!*



> • Heading into Saturday's game, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had made 63 of his past 68 free throws and, for the season, was shooting a career-best 88 percent at the line. The only starting center better at the line, thus far, is P.J. Brown of the New Orleans Hornets, who has taken 50 fewer free throws. Ilgauskas credits his success to a technique that the Cavs tried to teach him four years ago to improve his jumper, wanting him to get his hand more under the ball. He didn't like it on jump shots and junked it, but he uses it on free throws, and it has helped his percentage jump from the low-to-mid 60s when he first came to the league.


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## remy23

*Passing Fancy*












> *Click Me!*
> 
> *Passing fancy:*
> 
> Ilgauskas is not known for his passing out of the post. In 10 of the 21 games in which he's appeared, Ilgauskas went without an assist - playing 272 minutes.
> 
> He looked like a combination of Bill Walton and Brad Daugherty briefly on Saturday night. In a span of less than one minute in the second quarter, Ilgauskas hit a cutting LeBron James with two passes that turned into dunks.
> 
> The second was a bounce pass that he wrapped around Shaquille O'Neal.
> 
> Later on Saturday night, former Cavaliers coach-turned-ESPN analyst Paul Silas was part of a panel reviewing the night's top plays. "That was the pass of the night," Silas said.


----------



## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 12/21/2005 | Ilgauskas shakes cobwebs*











> _Cavaliers notebook_
> *Ilgauskas shakes cobwebs*
> 
> *Center plays after missing workouts with concussion*
> 
> By Brian Windhorst
> Beacon Journal sportswriter
> 
> *CLEVELAND -* The sight of Zydrunas Ilgauskas sprawled prone and motionless on the floor was enough to shake his teammates and onlooking fans, but for him it was positively frightening.
> 
> Late in the Cavaliers' victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday night, Ilgauskas dived for a loose ball, only to have Dwyane Wade smash him on the right side of his head as he, too, lunged for it. For the first time in his life, Ilgauskas was knocked unconscious.
> 
> Moments later, Cavs coach Mike Brown arrived at his side and spoke to him and touched his head. ``It was heavy, like it was nailed to the floor, he was out,'' Brown said.
> 
> After several minutes, Ilgauskas regained his consciousness -- if not all his wits -- and rose and headed to the locker room with a large bump already exposed on his head.
> 
> “It gives you a new perspective; I'd never been knocked out before,'' he said before suiting up for the Cavs' game with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. “It scares you. All of a sudden you are not in control and you're vulnerable.''
> 
> Ilgauskas suffered headaches, soreness and fatigue in recovering from the mild concussion. He took Sunday and Monday off and was away from the team. But he was back on his feet Tuesday and back on the floor. And even joking about it.
> 
> “Your body goes through some stuff when you recover; I was very tired,'' said Ilgauskas, who also has been dealing with a sore knee. “I was in the clouds for a while, but I was OK. The (team trainers) asked me if I knew who hit me and they said I told them (1990s-era players) Terry Porter or Kevin Duckworth, they had some fun with me on that.''
> 
> *MORE IN URL*


----------



## remy23

*For Ilgauskas, cloudy daze now clear*












> *CAVS INSIDER*
> *For Ilgauskas, cloudy daze now clear*
> 
> Wednesday, December 21, 2005
> 
> *Branson Wright
> Plain Dealer Reporter*
> 
> Zydrunas Ilgauskas returned to action Tuesday, days after getting knocked out cold against the Heat on Saturday.
> 
> In that fourth quarter, Ilgauskas collided with Dwayne Wade and was motionless on the court. Ilgauskas was assisted into the locker room. He suffered a mild concussion, and he was held out of practice Monday.
> 
> "I don't really remember how it happened, everything went blank," Ilgauskas said. "After that, I had a hard time recovering. Sunday was rough and [Tuesday] was better."
> 
> This is the first time Ilgauskas had been rendered unconscious.
> 
> "It was like someone flipped the light off," Ilgauskas said. "I've never been knocked out. It's scary because you're feel vulnerable, and it takes a while to get back."
> 
> The blowleft two lumps on the right side of his head that have since subsided. He also suffered from headaches and had trouble sleeping. Now back to normal, Ilgauskas found time to joke about the incident.
> 
> "I remember [trainer] Max [Benton] talking to me, and I was in the clouds," Ilgauskas said. "The guys were making fun of me. When Max asked me what happened, [the guys said] I told Max that [former NBA players] Terry Porter and Kevin Duckworth hit me. I don't think I did, but they've got a lot of mileage out of it."
> 
> *Injury part 2:*
> 
> Ilgauskas was not the only player that needed help to leave the floor Saturday. Cavs forward Drew Gooden twisted his left ankle when he came down on Shaquille O'Neal's foot in the first half. Gooden did not return to the game, and he did not practice Monday. It's the same ankle Gooden twisted last month against Minnesota.
> 
> "I was nervous because it was the same ankle, and I got it under control and I went out and re-aggravated it and hurt it worse," Gooden said.
> 
> *MORE IN URL*


----------



## remy23

*Walton knows well Z's agony of feet*












> *CAVS INSIDER*
> *Walton knows well Z’s agony of feet*
> 
> Monday, January 30, 2006
> 
> *Burt Graeff
> Plain Dealer Reporter*
> 
> No one can relate to Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas better than Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
> 
> Walton's brilliant 10-year NBA career was sabotaged with a plethora of foot, ankle and leg injuries.
> 
> Much like Ilgauskas' early career, when he missed 237 out of a possible 355 games in five seasons with foot injuries.
> 
> Ilgauskas, who had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in Sunday's 113-106 come-from-behind victory over the Phoenix Suns, has missed six games over the last 3? seasons.
> 
> "I am so happy for him," said Walton, ABC's color analyst on Sunday's nationally televised game from The Q.
> 
> "He is one of the great stories in the NBA. I think he is playing as well as he's ever played. What he's doing is really inspirational. In fact, I think the NBA is missing out on one of its great stories."
> 
> Playing from 1974 to '86, Walton missed 516 out of a possible 984 games. When healthy, he was one of the game's great centers - rebounding and passing out of the post.
> 
> "I am the most injured player in the history of professional basketball," Walton said. "I had 32 foot and leg operations. I can appreciate what Zydrunas has gone through."
> 
> *Back off:*
> 
> Cavaliers coach Mike Brown says the time has come to stop bad-mouthing guard Damon Jones, who spent much of the early season launching 3-pointers and doing little else.
> 
> Jones had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes against the Suns. To his credit, he has been taking the ball to the basket, looking for open teammates and grabbing an occasional rebound lately.
> 
> There's more, says Brown. "He's been very good for us defensively," Brown said. "Particularly off the ball."
> 
> Brown wasn't done. "There are a lot of people who say Damon Jones can't do this, can't do that," Brown said.
> 
> "I am going to say that Damon has played some great basketball for us."
> 
> *Remember him?*
> 
> Jim Jackson, one of Ohio's great high school players and a standout at Ohio State, is buried at the end of the Phoenix bench.
> 
> Jackson, 35 and in his 14th NBA season, apparently is not a good fit for the Suns' racehorse style of play. He is averaging a career-low 3.7 points and has not played in 13 straight games.
> 
> *Finally:*
> 
> Zendon Hamilton's second 10-day contract has expired. He won't be re-signed. . . . Eight of the Cavaliers' last 10 games have been on the road. "We have been on the road so much lately," Ilgauskas said, "that the last time I came home, my dog barked at me. That's when you know you're never home." Ilgauskas and his wife, Jennifer, own an 8-month-old Newfoundland. Beckham weighs 115 pounds.


----------



## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 02/02/2006 | Cavs believe Ilgauskas*












> *Cavs believe Ilgauskas*
> 
> *CLEVELAND -* deserves to be All-Star
> The NBA All-Star Game starters will be announced today, with LeBron James' inclusion at small forward a foregone conclusion.
> 
> The real drama comes a week from now when the All-Star reserves are announced after a vote of the NBA's coaches. Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas again will be on the bubble.
> 
> Last season, Ilgauskas made his second All-Star squad, averaging 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds. This year, his numbers are almost the same: 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor and a career-best 87 percent from the foul line.
> 
> Last season, though, the Cavs held first place in the Central Division for much of the season's first half. This year, the Detroit Pistons are the far-away leaders, which might change things.
> 
> “If I do get picked it would be a great honor, but other players are having really good seasons,'' Ilgauskas said. “I think they should take a lot more guys from Detroit than they usually do. Everybody knows Ben Wallace, but they should take at least two more from that team. If that happens, I won't mind getting the rest.''
> 
> Cavs coach Mike Brown said he plans on campaigning for Ilgauskas with other coaches. For what it's worth, James is, too.
> 
> “He's playing at an All-Star level right now,'' James said. “He's one of the best centers in the league.''
> 
> *NEWBLE STILL OUT --* Cavs guard Ira Newble remained in the Cleveland Clinic for a second night Wednesday, battling a facial abscess. He's out for tonight's game against the Heat in Miami, and his return is uncertain.
> 
> “He's resting comfortably; we'll find out more tomorrow about it,'' Brown said. “His being in the hospital is precautionary.''
> 
> *DRIBBLES --* With Newble out, the Cavs have recalled and activated rookie Martynas Andriuskevicius from the NBA Development League. He averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in three games with the Arkansas RimRockers.... Brown cut his scalp shaving Wednesday. His two sons talked him out of wearing a Band-Aid, because it would embarrass them. "I was thinking deep thoughts and not paying attention,'' Brown said.


----------



## remy23

*A step in the right direction*












> _Cavaliers trainer Max Benton and the club’s support staff give Zydrunas Ilgauskas, above, extra care so he and his size 17 Air Force Operates can take the court free of pain._
> 
> *A step in the right direction*
> *After a six-year battle with foot injuries, Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has developed into an integral part of a playoff-calibur team.*
> 
> Friday, February 10, 2006
> 
> *Story by Dennis Manoloff*
> 
> The left foot of Cavaliers center Zydrunas Il gauskas is a contraption of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons more RoboCop or Steve Austin than standard issue **** sapiens.
> 
> "When you look at the foot, you definitely notice a difference," he says.
> 
> His left foot has seven screws holding it together, the necessary evil of a radical, reconstructive surgery in February 2001. When Ilgauskas speaks of a difference, his frame of reference is different than most: The left foot has the right foot beat by four screws, each foot having suffered multiple breaks over a six-year period, 1995 to 2000.
> 
> Anybody with 10 screws to the pair necessitates maintenance beyond a few massages. Multiply exponentially for a 7-3 person playing NBA basketball, daily, for months.
> 
> Ilgauskas, while admitting that "ice is my best friend," downplays the extent of the treatment before and after games and practices, and the rehab-oriented work on off-days. It is no big deal, he says.
> 
> Don't buy it. The walls of the training and weight rooms inside The Q know differently. They recognize the affable Lithuanian's pain tolerance as off the charts.
> 
> Cavaliers trainer Max Benton and other members of the club's support staff have the unenviable task of making the pain go away, or at least mitigating the discomfort enough to enable Ilgauskas to take the court unencumbered.
> 
> Benton acknowledges Ilgauskas' feet require extra care, all the way down to the orthotics in his size 17 Nike Air Force Operates. Then Benton leaves the rest to the imagination. On the matter of Ilgauskas behind the scenes, he plays the role of Colonel Sanders.
> 
> "We decided as a group not to disclose what we do, to keep it private," Benton says, politely. "I will tell you this, though: Z's work ethic is second to none."
> 
> Understand, too, that the Ilgauskas project begins, but by no means ends, with the feet. Strength and conditioning coach Stan Kellers oversees a rigorous stretching program, the primary focus being Ilgauskas' lower-lumbar region. It is part of a series of checks and balances covering 87 inches and 260 pounds.
> 
> For this season, in particular, special attention also has been paid to his left knee sprained Dec. 10; head concussed Dec. 7; and his right finger dislocated Feb. 2.
> 
> Whatever the support staff has concocted, it should be patented. Ilgauskas, 30, is in the midst of arguably the most proficient, comprehensive season of his NBA career. In 47 of a possible 48 games through Thursday, he is averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 29.7 minutes. He is shooting .514 from the field and .866 from the line.
> 
> *A for accuracy*
> 
> Based on points per minute and points per field-goal attempt, Ilgauskas stands with the most efficient scorers in the league.
> 
> His free-throw accuracy is a story in itself. Ilgauskas entered this season with a .766 career success rate good, especially for a center, but far from automatic. Now he ranks first in the league at his position and top 20 overall. The accuracy is magnified by his ability to draw fouls and get to the line in the first place.
> 
> Ilgauskas credits side sessions with former assistant coach Ron Ekker several years ago. Ekker tweaked his setup, grip and release. Ilgauskas began to implement the changes in earnest last season, when he made 79.9 percent.
> 
> Ilgauskas has become so dependable at the line, it is no secret whom coach Mike Brown wants with the ball when free throws absolutely need to be made.
> 
> The latest example came Wednesday in Minnesota. With the Cavaliers ahead, 93-91, and eight seconds left, they prepared to inbound at halfcourt. Fox Sports Net Ohio analyst Scott Williams predicted the play the Cavaliers would run to free Ilgauskas; it happened. After a Trenton Hassell foul, Ilgauskas calmly sank both free throws to help secure a 97-91 victory.
> 
> *Defense doesn’t rest*
> 
> Defensively, Ilgauskas appears increasingly dialed into Brown's system, which calls for him to stay home and disrupt dribble penetration, block or alter shots and be ready to help. Ilgauskas never will be confused with a lockdown defender, but Brown's emphasis on patrolling the low block caters to his strengths (size, length) and minimizes the exploitation of his weaknesses (quickness, agility).
> 
> "I like not having to chase the little guys outside the 3-point line," Ilgauskas said.
> 
> "I can't say enough about what 'Z' has done, at both ends of the floor," says Brown, a first-year head coach. "I think there was a month when he led the team in charges and blocks. If someone were to tell you that your 7-3 guy would lead the team in blocks and charges, you'd pass out from disbelief."
> 
> It is not as if Ilgauskas got good overnight. He is a two-time All-Star (2003, 2005) and entered this season with career averages of 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in 413 games. He played superbly in the second half last season. But he has not had all phases dovetail quite so nicely as in this season. That he is an integral part of a playoff-caliber team with LeBron James at the controls adds significance.
> 
> "Z's having an All-Star season," James said.
> 
> Nonetheless, Ilgauskas will not be an All-Star for a third time, unless he replaces someone injured. He did not make the list of All-Star reserves announced Thursday.
> 
> "We're second in our division in wins and we have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference," said James, an All-Star starter for the second year in a row. "He should have been voted in."
> 
> *Z never rests*
> 
> No matter Ilgauskas' level of effectiveness, it might never be enough to satisfy the critics, who have made him a primary target over the years. Radio talk shows, readers' letters/emails and chat rooms pertaining to the Cavaliers make sport of picking apart Ilgauskas as any combination of immobile, slow, not agile enough, foul-prone, slow, predictable on offense, unable to pass out of the double-team and slow. Whenever the Cavaliers falter, the criticism intensifies.
> 
> Z's response? Guilty to a degree.
> 
> "Look, I realize I'm not a complete player," he says. "I make mistakes. I have faults. I'm trying to improve stuff to become the best player I can possibly be. But I don't know too many guys in the league who do everything well. Perfect players are hard to find. It's not easy to come in every night and do what LeBron James does.
> 
> "People are entitled to their opinion, but no matter what they say, I know I play hard every night, and I bring more good to the table than bad. The criticism that matters to me is from my teammates and my coaches."
> 
> Ilgauskas grants that his injury-plagued pro career, which lists 111 games played in his first five seasons, places him in the crosshairs. So do the Cavaliers' overall struggles since his arrival, and his eight-figure income during some of the down time.
> 
> "When you're injured and making a lot of money, you're an easy target," he says.
> 
> Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry, a friend and former teammate of Ilgauskas, shakes his head when he reads or hears of the nitpicking.
> 
> "I think, on the whole, he's very underappreciated here in Cleveland," Ferry says. "Ask around the NBA who the best centers are, and Z's name comes up regularly."
> 
> One on the outside who endorses Ilgauskas is Hall of Famer and television analyst Bill Walton. During a recent visit to The Q, he said, "I am so happy for him. He is one of the great stories in the NBA. I think he is playing as well as he's ever played. What he's doing is really inspirational. In fact, I think the NBA is missing out on one of its great stories."
> 
> From Walton's perspective, the most compelling aspect of the Ilgauskas tale is found in the agony of his feet. Walton, a center who played from 1974 to 1986, missed 516 of 984 games because of foot, ankle and leg injuries.
> 
> "I am the most injured player in the history of professional basketball," he said. "I had 32 foot and leg operations. I can appreciate what Zydrunas has gone through."
> 
> *Career at crossroads*
> 
> The tribulations of Ilgauskas almost sidelined him permanently at age 25. He removed himself from a game at Miami on Dec. 22, 2000, after experiencing sharp pain in his left foot. It turned out to be a fractured navicular bone, ending his season at 24 games. A similar injury decimated his previous two seasons: He played five games in 1998-99, none the next. The organization had signed him to a six-year, $71 million extension before the 1999-2000 season.
> 
> Ilgauskas was at a loss. The previous surgery, in January 2000, obviously had failed. What now?
> 
> "I'd reached a breaking point," he says. "Injuries and rehab take a toll, not only physically but mentally. It also takes a toll on the family and the people close to you. You're miserable mostly. It breaks you down after a while.
> 
> "I either needed to do something drastic with the foot . . . or put my career to sleep."
> 
> Ilgauskas traversed the country seeking advice from specialists. He felt a kinship with Dr. Mark Myerson in Baltimore. Myerson had operated on Grant Hill's ankle and later put back together receiver Terrell Owens' ankle in advance of Super Bowl XXXIX.
> 
> Myerson made no promises to Ilgauskas when discussing a reconstruction of the left foot unlike anything his patient ever could have envisioned. Myerson warned him there always was the possibility that it could end badly, that he could be plagued with a limp and never play again. However, Myerson told Ilgauskas, if it went well there was no reason he could not return to the court at full capacity and stay on it for years.
> 
> "If I hadn't given it one more shot, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life," Ilgauskas says.
> 
> Surgery took place Feb. 7, 2001. It turned out to be the easy part.
> 
> "This rehab was especially tough," he says. "A lot of pain. I needed to get used to my foot being a different shape. Once I got back, it felt good."
> 
> Ilgauskas missed the first 17 games of the 2001-2002 season while still in recovery mode. He has not missed a game because of the left foot since. The right foot has held up for 10 years.
> 
> Even though his birth certificate states he will turn 31 on June 5, Ilgauskas feels like a twentysomething in basketball years.
> 
> "My basketball skills were pretty much frozen for 3-4 years, from 21-25, so my game is still developing," he says. "I'm getting a better feel each year. I've got a lot left."


----------



## KingoftheCourt23

Its great to Z playing well after all those bad injuries. He is by far one of the top centers in the East and should have made the all star team.


----------



## remy23

*Z among centers with retro approach*












> *CAVALIERS INSIDER*
> *Z among centers with retro approach*
> 
> Monday, March 13, 2006
> 
> *Branson Wright
> Plain Dealer Reporter*
> 
> *Miami -* Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are part of a dying breed in the NBA -- centers who play with their back to the basket.
> 
> The days of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain battling in the paint or Patrick Ewing going toe-to-toe with Hakeem Olajuwon down low has faded. Today's big men take 3-pointers and dribble as much as guards.
> 
> "I've noticed [the changing face of centers] because most of the time when you're guarding a center you're out by the 3-point line," Ilgauksas said. "A lot more guys are coming into the league as shooters. They're only a few post-up guys like Shaq and Yao [Ming]. Guys choose to play on the outside and coaches may encourage it also so they can have the luxury of a center with the ability to play both inside and outside."
> 
> Magic Johnson, a 6-9 point guard, had plenty of influence on bigger players playing positions other than center. Ilgauskas said younger players in Europe, no matter what their size, are encouraged to learn how to shoot from the outside and dribble.
> 
> "Europe has the U.S. beat on how they prepare their players," Ilgauskas said. "The U.S. has more talent and better athletes, but in Europe they teach the kids fundamentals so when they do play for the pro teams everything is second nature to them like passing, screen setting and back cutting."
> 
> *Turning up the Heat:*
> 
> The Cavs have lost seven straight games in Miami. The last victory was December of 2001.
> 
> *He said it:*
> 
> "The last time I tried out [for a team] was in the sixth or seventh grade, but for the most part, I knew I was going to make it."
> 
> James on trying out for the U.S. men's national team.


----------



## Zalgirinis

*Re: Z among centers with retro approach*

Game with Pistons happened while ago, but it made Lithuanian media only today. I tried to search something about it here, but didnt find anything. So is it true that Ilgauskas went to team staff and asked for a trade in a summer because his teammates didnt back him and supported Rasheed Wallace when Rasheed made a punch or smth to Z. Any true in all this stuff?


----------



## futuristxen

*Re: Z among centers with retro approach*



Zalgirinis said:


> Game with Pistons happened while ago, but it made Lithuanian media only today. I tried to search something about it here, but didnt find anything. So is it true that Ilgauskas went to team staff and asked for a trade in a summer because his teammates didnt back him and supported Rasheed Wallace when Rasheed made a punch or smth to Z. Any true in all this stuff?


No. No truth to it. I think it just caught everyone off guard. Because earlier in the year when Danny Fortson tried to start **** with Z, Lebron went right at Fortson and got him ejected from the game.

I can't really imagine Z demanding a trade from Cleveland. At this point he's as much a Cav as Lebron is.


----------



## spongyfungy

*Re: Z among centers with retro approach*



Zalgirinis said:


> Game with Pistons happened while ago, but it made Lithuanian media only today. I tried to search something about it here, but didnt find anything. So is it true that Ilgauskas went to team staff and asked for a trade in a summer because his teammates didnt back him and supported Rasheed Wallace when Rasheed made a punch or smth to Z. Any true in all this stuff?


Well here's the article.

*Cavs pace for Pacers in playoffs*


> Last week, Orlando Magic television commentator Matt Guokas, who used to do Cavs games, told his audience that center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had been so frustrated with his teammates lack of response in Rasheed Wallace elbowgate three weeks ago that he went to the front office and asked to be traded in the offseason. Many Cavs fans around the country who watched the game on the NBA League Pass, which picked up the Sunshine Network's feed, were shocked by the comments. Guokas was partially right and partially wrong. Team insiders said Ilgauskas did go to management upset but never expressed desire to go anywhere.


I too caught it on league pass and I was surprised by the comments by Guokas.


----------



## remy23

*Beacon Journal | 03/31/2006 | Playoff berth most gratifying to Z*












> *Playoff berth most gratifying to Z*
> 
> By Brian Windhorst
> Beacon Journal sportswriter
> 
> *CLEVELAND -* The Cavaliers made a franchise-wide effort to take clinching a long-awaited playoff berth this week in stride. No fireworks or balloons, much less champagne.
> 
> So when Zydrunas Ilgauskas stepped to the microphone at Quicken Loans Arena following the Cavs' 107-94 win Wednesday night over the Dallas Mavericks, he, too, tried to treat it like a matter of routine.
> 
> Ilgauskas wanted to thank the fans, talk about the game and move on.
> 
> The crowd wouldn't let him.
> 
> The Cavs might not have made a big deal of the event, but the patrons did with signs and chants. When Ilgauskas tried to speak, the crowd swallowed his words with noise, recognizing his long journey from the last time he tasted the playoffs during his rookie season. The lone remaining player from that era and the symbol of all the Cavs have come through, he allowed himself to get caught in the moment.
> 
> He raised his hand to the crowd, his face slightly turning red.
> 
> It was for a such a moment that Ilgauskas agreed to take a $6 million pay cut to re-sign with the Cavs in the offseason.
> 
> “It's been a long time. The last time we made the playoffs I had a full head of hair, I was single, lived in a Dumpster apartment downtown,'' Ilgauskas said in the locker room after the game. “I went through a lot personally on the court and off the court.
> 
> “To come back here and stay with the team and have this work out, it feels great not just for me but for the fans, because it has been a long time coming.''
> 
> The two-time All-Star center has been richly rewarded, signing contracts with the Cavs to pay him more than $125 million while battling through a series of foot operations.
> 
> In 1997-98, the Cavs went 47-35 and Ilgauskas was among a group of young players -- Brevin Knight, Bobby Sura, Cedric Henderson, Derek Anderson and Vitaly Potapenko -- that showed huge potential along with All-Star Shawn Kemp.
> 
> But Ilgauskas, who averaged 13.9 points as a rookie, played just five games over the next two years due to foot problems. The rest of that team encountered its own well-documented issues.
> 
> It began a downward spiral that continued through the 2002-03 season, when they hit rock bottom with a 17-65 record.
> 
> “It was cloudy here for a long time,'' Ilgauskas said. “Then it seemed like we got a ray of sun, and it was LeBron.''
> 
> James and Ilgauskas have bonded on the court in carrying the Cavs back to the postseason. It was James who went to management in the offseason asking for Ilgauskas to be re-signed, and it was Ilgauskas who came to James' defense Wednesday after the Mavericks administered two flagrant fouls against him.
> 
> “I'm happy for him,'' James said.
> 
> “To have `Z' come back and sign another deal, it has worked out for him, and it has worked out for us.''
> 
> Ilgauskas, who is averaging 16.2 points this season, has had a bumpy season to be sure. From battling knee soreness to taking a blow to the head from the Detroit Pistons' Rasheed Wallace, it has been rough physically. That, he's used to; it's the playoffs that feel new again.
> 
> “Hopefully, in a year or two clinching the playoffs will be meaningless,'' Ilgauskas said. “We have a good team here now. Do we have enough to go all the way? Probably not, but we have enough to be competitive against anybody.''


----------



## remy23

*Rookie to rejuvenation*












> _Donyell Marshall gives teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas a welldeserved hug Wednesday night after the Cavaliers clinched their first playoff berth in eight years._
> 
> *Rookie to rejuvenation*
> *Playoff odyssey for Z spans 8 years with a lot of lumps*
> 
> Saturday, April 01, 2006
> 
> *Burt Graeff
> Plain Dealer Reporter*
> 
> Coach Mike Brown calls Zydrunas Ilgauskas the Lone Ranger - the only Cavalier remaining from the franchise's most recent appearance in the NBA playoffs.
> 
> Ilgauskas was 22 years old during the 1997-98 season when the Cavaliers dropped a best-of-five playoff series to the Indiana Pacers. "I had a full head of hair, I was single and I lived in a dumpster apartment downtown," he said after Wednesday night's 107-94 victory over Dallas that clinched a spot in the postseason.
> 
> Today, the hair is disappearing, he's married to Jennifer and lives in a mansion on Lake Erie in a western suburb. Something else he has that he did not have eight years ago: a dog named Beckham, his 10-month-old Newfoundland.
> 
> "Forget the dog," Ilgauskas said, smiling. "He's already gotten enough publicity."
> 
> Ilgauskas has seen a plethora of comings and goings during the Cavaliers' eight years of futility.
> 
> He's had 86 teammates (anyone remember Litterial Green, A.J. Bramlett and/or Etdrick Bohannon?), seven coaches, three general managers and two owners.
> 
> Let's not forget the losses. A six-year string of losing seasons was broken last season, when the Cavaliers went 42-40 - failing to make the playoffs by one game.
> 
> "It would get more discouraging with each year," Ilgauskas said, "but I never reached a point where I throught it wouldn't ever end, because in the NBA things can quickly turnaround."
> 
> Ilgauskas was one of four rookies (the others were Brevin Knight, Derek Anderson and Cedric Henderson) who contributed significantly to the 1997-98 team that went 47-35 to reach the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.
> 
> Shawn Kemp and Wesley Person were the veterans who brought experience to the team coached by Mike Fratello. "Being a rookie," Ilgauskas said, "I just took getting into the playoffs for granted.
> 
> "I figured that we'd be going there every year."
> 
> Wrong. NBA franchises can fall as quickly as they rise. Kemp was on his way to eating himself out of the league, Ilgauskas missed most of the next three years with foot injuries, Henderson never duplicated his rookie season and poor drafts greased the skid.
> 
> The luck of pingpong balls in the 2003 lottery that ultimately led to the drafting of LeBron James turned one of the league's woeful franchises into one of its most entertaining.
> 
> "I'm happy for Z," said James, who urged the organization to re-sign the 7-3 center in the off-season. "Eight years is a long time to experience what he has. I'm happy to see him playing a whole season and I'm happy he's returning to the playoffs."
> 
> Brown's first year as a head coach has been made easier with Ilgauskas' presence in the paint - 16.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.74 blocked shots and a team-leading 83 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
> 
> "Getting back to the playoffs is special for Z," Brown said. "He's received a lot, but he's given a lot back to the organization."
> 
> *Finally:*
> 
> The NBA did not fool around when handing out punishment for one of the two flagrant fouls that stunned James in the victory over Dallas on Wednesday. Mavericks center DJ Mbenga, who whacked James in the head on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter, was suspended for one game. The foul was originally called a flagrant 1, but upgraded to a flagrant 2 when reviewed by the league. The suspension was served in Dallas' game on Friday night in Orlando. . . . The Cavaliers (42-29), who have won six straight, face Miami (48-23) this afternoon at The Q. Shaquille O'Neal (hyperextended right knee), missed Wednesday night's victory at Toronto. "He's day-to-day," said a Heat spokesman, who declined to give any further update following the team's practice on Friday at The Q. Miami's media notes list O'Neal as tonight's starter.


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## remy23

*]Ilgauskas’ tumble puts scare in Cavs*












> *Ilgauskas’ tumble puts scare in Cavs*
> 
> Wednesday, April 05, 2006
> 
> *Burt Graeff
> Plain Dealer Reporter*
> 
> 
> The Cavaliers' playoff picture did not include center Zydrunas Ilgauskas sprawled on the court grabbing his left ankle.
> 
> Ilgauskas is listed as doubtful for tonight's game against the Knicks in New York after suffering a sprained left ankle with 9:34 left in the first quarter of Tuesday night's 124-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at The Q.
> 
> He suffered the injury while getting tangled with Sixers 6-11 center Samuel Dalembert. Ilgauskas walked off the court on his own and did not return.
> 
> The Cavaliers said X-rays of the ankle were negative. An MRI taken at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital did not show any damage, the team said.
> 
> The entire organization gasped when Ilgauskas, a 7-3, 260-pounder, hit the floor and did not bounce up. Injuries to each foot caused Ilgauskas to miss 267 of 378 games in the first five years of his career.
> 
> Over the past five, he's appeared in 375 of 402.
> 
> Ilgauskas missed one of 74 games this season, a 100-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 13 at The Q. Alan Henderson opened in pivot for Ilgauskas.
> 
> Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said if Ilgauskas is not available tonight, the likely replacement will be 6-10 Anderson Varejao.
> 
> In two seasons, Varejao has one start in 94 games.
> 
> Varejao made a case for getting a start if Ilgauskas is held out by playing his third straight strong game on Tuesday.
> 
> Matching a career-high in minutes (34), Varejao scored 11 points and equaled a career-high in rebounds - 14 - for his first double double. In his past three games, which include victories over Miami and Charlotte, Varejao has 28 points and 29 rebounds in 79 minutes.
> 
> The Cavaliers (45-29), who won a season-high ninth straight game, did not miss a beat after Ilgauskas left. It's always easier when the perimeter shots are falling - they were 11-of-22 from 3-point range - and when they are taking it to the hoop.
> 
> "As of late, we've been attacking the rim and that puts lot of pressure on a defense," said LeBron James, who had 37 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
> 
> Getting some of Ilgauskas' shots was power forward Drew Gooden, who was 11-of-16 from the field for 23 points in 25 minutes.
> 
> "That's a lot of shots for me," said Gooden, who averages 8.3 attempts per game. "Everyone had a hand in this victory. Everyone contributed. Sure, I'd like to get 16 shots a game - just as long as we won."
> 
> Ilgauskas, who was not available for comment afterward, will have two days to rest after tonight's game. The Cavaliers face the Nets in New Jersey on Saturday.


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## remy23

*Ilgauskas misses game after hurting ankle*












> *Ilgauskas misses game after hurting ankle*
> 
> Thursday, April 06, 2006
> 
> *New York -* Zydrunas Ilgauskas left Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers after spraining his left ankle early in the first quarter. Ilgauskas did not return and he did not play Wednesday night against the Knicks.
> 
> Ilgauskas is not sure if he will return Saturday against the New Jersey Nets.
> 
> "I would like [to return on Saturday], but it's hard to say at this point," said Ilgauskas, who is wearing a walking boot. "My ankle swelled up twice its size. We'll take this day-to-day and see how I feel [today and Friday]."
> 
> Ilgauskas went down after landing on the foot of 76ers center Sam Dalembert with nearly nine minutes left in the first quarter. Ilgauskas hit the floor, but he walked off the court and into the locker room on his own.
> 
> "Pain shot through my foot," Ilgauskas said. "I taped it up in the locker room and I tried to run [on it] to see about coming back, but once the adrenaline wore off and I got cold, the ankle started getting stiff and painful. I had to shut it down."
> 
> Fortunately, the Cavs kept things going without Ilgauskas. Anderson Varejao did fine as a replacement.
> 
> He finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
> 
> "Andy did great," Ilgauskas said. "The one thing you're going to get from Andy is effort. He's relentless and he always gives 100 percent."


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## remy23

*The Plain Dealer*












> *Click Me!*
> 
> *Border patrol:*
> 
> Native son Zydrunas Ilgauskas will head a contingent of NBA players from Europe as Basketball without Borders Europe will take place for the first time in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the Sarunas Marciulionis Basketball Academy June 30-July 3. The program, a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, features current and former NBA players and team personnel as camp coaches. Assistant coach Melvin Hunt will join Ilgauskas. Assistant coach Hank Egan will join Yao Ming in Shanghai. Coach Mike Brown and assistant Mike Malone will join Carlos Arroyo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Assistant general manager Lance Blanks will serve as camp director in Johannesburg, South Africa, and will be joined by Brown.


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## Pioneer10

> Ilgauskas is now the all-time franchise leader in offensive rebounds with 1,620.


http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/16183957.htm

I wonder how many those offensive rebounds came off his own missed layups? I would bet half


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## remy23

*Ilgauskas taking it one line at a time*

*Ilgauskas taking it one line at a time*​


> *OAKLAND, CALIF.:* In his first year in the United States, Zydrunas Ilgauskas learned English. In the 10 years since, he has perfected translating his dry wit.
> 
> So when the Cavaliers' center is asked about the hot start to his season — he's averaging 15.7 points and 14.3 rebounds, the fourth most in the NBA — he responds with a series of one-liners.
> 
> ''I'm a fairly good rebounder for my size.''
> 
> ''It's the shaved head; my hair isn't holding me back anymore.''
> 
> ''We have not been shooting well; there's a lot of balls bouncing around.''
> 
> But along with knowing how to charm questioners, the veteran knows the reality, too. It's a long season, and three games mean nothing. And his numbers are largely due to an increased minute load, which he knows could have consequences down the line.
> 
> The Cavs are without two of their top big men, Anderson Varejao and Donyell Marshall, and coach Mike Brown has been reluctant to use Cedric Simmons as he learns the system and returns from injury. That has Ilgauskas averaging more than 35 minutes per game over the first week. He hasn't averaged more than 30 in the last two seasons.
> 
> ''With us being so shorthanded, you just get more opportunities,'' Ilgauskas said after practice Monday at the Golden State Warriors' facility. ''I haven't played so many minutes in a long time. Some days you feel good, but the games pile up and I'm not 20 anymore.''
> 
> His frontcourt teammate, Drew Gooden, is experiencing the same. Gooden's numbers are also up from his career norms early on, averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds over the first three games. So far, he's playing nine more minutes a game than his average last season.
> 
> Sure, three games are just a small sample, but there doesn't look to be any change coming soon. Brown said he might try to play Ira Newble and Sasha Pavlovic, both of whom are 6-foot-7, at the power forward spot at times to get his big men some extra rest. That, however, is just an experimental stopgap.
> 
> ''It's something we have to watch early on,'' Brown said. ''I'm still experimenting and evaluating to see how the rotation will go.''
> 
> Ilgauskas said, with an eye toward the future, he might have to limit himself in practices. He's also not sure how he'll react in back-to-backs; the Cavs have their first two sets over the next week.
> 
> ''The coach is still looking,'' Ilgauskas said.
> 
> ''I don't know, you just hope Andy will get here and Donyell will get back and everything will fall in place. Right now we have to do the best with what we have.''


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## remy23

*Ilgauskas requires luck, care to continue*

*Ilgauskas requires luck, care to continue*​


> Zydrunas Ilgauskas' bad lower back is worrisome for the Cavaliers, and it might call for some long-term consideration.
> 
> The Cavs have known for years his back could be a problem, and Ilgauskas has suffered for some time now. He's been treating it with the same diligence that he does his feet, part of a complex maintenance routine designed by the Cavs doctors and athletic trainer Max Benton that has been a smashing success, all things considered.
> 
> But the back issues are part of the reason Ilgauskas struggled in back-to-back games in the past several seasons. Now he's got a bulging disc and he's treating it and crossing his fingers that rest and painkillers will improve it enough to get back on the court. There's no guarantee that it won't recur later in the season.
> 
> This setback for Ilgauskas might affect his decision to attempt to play for the Lithuanian National Team in the Olympics this summer. Right now he and the Cavs are sort of at an impasse — they don't want him to play and they don't have to let him because his back and feet are not covered by insurance in his contract. The Lithuanians have offered to pay for special insurance. Yet it isn't just an insurance issue; the Cavs believe Z needs the entire offseason to recover from the pounding his body takes.
> 
> Ilgauskas, 32, sees it as a final chance to play for his country and potentially the best team they've had in years. There's a chance this could come to a head in a few months, not unlike a standoff the Toronto Raptors had with forward Jorge Garbajosa last summer in a insurance issue after a severe leg injury. The Raptors reluctantly allowed Garbajosa to play for Spain in the European Championships, but lingering problems have knocked him out for this season.
> 
> Now Ilgauskas might have to reconsider his stance, especially if his back continues to threaten to keep him off the court. He said he thinks he's got a lot of basketball left in him, but he's been able to play this long with strict management of his body. That process might have to win out.
> 
> For the Cavs' front office and one of Ilgauskas' close friends, General Manager Danny Ferry, the plan is to evaluate things after the season. But the increasing fragility of Ilgauskas also brings another issue into view — the need to think of a replacement plan for the franchise center.
> 
> Anderson Varejao theoretically could be the Cavs' big man of the future, but they were unable to lock him into a long-term contract and it's yet to be seen whether he can fill that role. New pickup Ben Wallace is older than Ilgauskas and seemingly more effective playing power forward, not center.
> 
> Which is why the Cavs have to be considering using a draft pick in June on a big man they can develop. With a first-round pick likely in the 20s, it probably can't be an immediate impact player. But Ilgauskas was found with the 20th pick by Wayne Embry in 1996, so bargains are sometimes available.
> 
> For years, Ilgauskas has been a rock in the middle for the Cavs and he likely will continue to be. This injury, though, is a reminder that he won't be forever.


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## Brandname

That was actually kind of a depressing read. I hope Z gets better soon.


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## Benedict_Boozer

Brandname said:


> That was actually kind of a depressing read. I hope Z gets better soon.


Z goes down for an extended period of time or in the playoffs - we're screwed. He and Lebron are irreplaceable. We really need to draft someone to groom for the center spot.


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