Newcomers struggle

Cavs blog by Bob Finnan

The four newest Cavaliers didn't exactly shine in New Jersey on Wednesday. The Cavs lost 104-99, and none of the four players played well.

Let's start with starters Delonte West and Joe Smith. West played just 20 minutes and had five points, five turnovers and two assists. A late 3-pointer made his numbers look a little better, but not much.

Smith, a veteran power forward, had one of his worst games as a Cav. He had five points, seven rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. The worst play came with less than a minute to play. He allowed Vince Carter to get an offensive rebound on a missed free throw by Marcus Williams. The Cavs were down by only two points, 100-98, with 15.4 seconds left. Some how, VC got around Smith for the rebound and was fouled himself. He made both free throws for a 4-point advantage.

Guard/forward Wally Szczerbiak, still struggling from the perimeter, had seven points, a season-high five assists and four rebounds. But he was just 3 of 8 from the field, 0 of 2 from the 3-point line. If he doesn't start making outside shots, he's going to find himself on the bench. He seems to be pressing on his shots.

Forward/center Ben Wallace didn't play against the Nets because of back spasms. I would be surprised if he plays against the Wizards tonight.