Worth the Wait

But for this year’s Cavaliers, the waiting is no problem. Not when it comes to a player like bruising power forward, Leon Powe.

Between the nagging injuries and the flu bug, this hasn’t been one of Coach Mike Brown’s most productive preseasons. Regulars don’t log a ton of meaningful minutes during the exhibition season, but the Wine and Gold have been operating with a skeleton crew through much of the last two weeks.

When the Cavaliers do get full complement of players, hopefully for the home opener against Boston in a week, they’ll still be without Powe. But when the former Cal Bear does return – possibly after the All-Star Break in February or March – the Wine and Gold will add another dimension to what should be an already high-powered offense.

So while the Wine and Gold slug it out through the first half of the season, Powe is busy preparing himself (and his left knee) for battle in the second half – and the NBA’s second season.

“The knee feels good,” said Powe, following Cavs practice. “I still have a little ways to go, but I’m happy with my progress. I’m still working hard, trying to get in there and work out the soreness. I’ve got all the motion back. It’s just a matter of strengthening the knee up.”

Although this is Powe’s third knee surgery – (he missed his entire sophomore season at Cal after having two procedures) – he’s by no means an injury-prone player. Powe played in 70 games in 2008-09 – and in 189 of a possible 246 games in his three-year career. This past postseason, he tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in Boston’s Game 2 battle against the Bulls.

In a testament to his toughness, he played on it for three minutes before being shelved for the remainder of the postseason. He had his last surgery on May 5.

"There’s a little soreness because I picked up my workload,” Powe added. “I haven’t had a heavy workload in four months and the first time you do some work, it’s going to get sore. But it’s been responding really well. No swelling, no soreness. Nothing like that. No setbacks."

A healthy Powe is a beast around the rim. Last year, mostly off Doc Rivers’ bench, he averaged 7.7. points and 4.9 rebounds per contest. But it’d be hard to convince the Cavaliers that those were his real numbers in 2008-09. In just his first two years – and especially last season – Powe has already established himself as a Cav-Killer.

“We just found a mismatch and kept running with it,” laughed the affable Powe. “You know how Boston is: if I get a bucket the first time they come to me, they’re coming right back. It just happened where they kept coming back to me and I wasn’t missing many.”

In three games against the Cavaliers last year, Powe was a combined 18-for-23 from the floor, including a 20-point, 11-rebound performance on March 6 in Boston in which Powe went 9-for-11 from the floor – mauling the Cavaliers’ frontline while subbing for an injured Kevin Garnett. In seven career games against Cleveland, the former All-Pac-10 selection has shot a jaw-dropping .714 from the floor.

Powe was selected No. 49 overall by the Nuggets in 2006 and dealt on Draft Night to the Celtics. But after three seasons in Beantown – with Boston re-signing Big Baby Davis and inking Shelden Williams – the 6-8, 240-pounder made his move to the North Coast.

Thus far in Camp and preseason, Powe’s been limited to a spectator’s role, observing from the sidelines when he’s not rehabbing, picking up the Cavaliers’ system.

“I’m watching the plays and going through them in my head; I’m able to pick up most of the plays,” said Powe. “You have to be out there to actually run them, but I’m able to go through the stuff in my mind. I like to study the game and watch film. And I ask a lot of questions when I’m on the sidelines.

One thing that’ll be different when the Bay Area forward finally takes the floor will be his number.

“No. 44 was my childhood number,” explained Powe. “I had ‘0’ in Boston, but I wanted a fresh start and I wanted to go back to what was working for me when I was younger, in college and playing in AAU. I’m just trying to break back the old beast in me.”

While the Cavaliers are chomping at the bit to finish out the preseason and get to the games that count, Powe understands that it’ll be a while before he sees game action.

The Wine and Gold know he’s worth the wait. And Leon will be ready to roll when his new number is called. In fact, he’s got it all planned out (and it sounds a lot like the movie Cleveland watched last season).

“You can throw it down to me in the low post, where I’m real crafty; I know where to find my shot down there,” beamed Powe. “Even if it’s a big man, I can take him off the dribble. I can get to the foul line and get opposing bigs or second unit players in foul trouble. You can count on me on the defensive end – guarding whoever. Fours, fives. I can guard some threes if you need me to. I’m crafty playing defense down there too. I take pride in my defense and doing all the little things.

“That’s what I’m about: anything for the team and anything for the team to win a Championship.”