The battle looming

Turns out Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has to battle more than the fractured legacy of Jim Paxson and Gordon Gund, and big-city leeches trying to plant the seeds of discontent in the mind of LeBron James this summer. He also has a simmering feud with the national media brewing.
I see the winds of war swirling between Gilbert and and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. Smith, as you might remember started a rumor before the season ended that Paxson would be fired within 48 hours of the initial report, which didn't happen (turns out, Smith was only off by a week or so). He also implored Gilbert to "shut up and write the checks."
In today's edition of The Plain Dealer, Gilbert had his rebuttal chance. Calling Smith and many of his national media cohorts "media entertainers posing as journalists," he proceeded to refute all the rumors about ownership meddling and the notion that March and April's playoff-killing collapse was caused by Gilbert taking control of the team.
Gilbert said he had no regrets about firing Paul Silas in March, saying the bulk of the damage was done to the season when the Cavs lost nine of their last 12 under Silas. Gilbert said Silas was not open to suggestions from anyone on anything, and "wanted out."
He backed up his decision to use Brendan Malone as the head coach for the season's last 18 games, even though he announced Malone would not be back as coach the day after the season ended.
"Brendan took over and we went 8-10," he said in The Plain Dealer. "Not great, but not a freefall considering the schedule we faced during those 18 games."
The Cavs didn't have the benefit of facing league doormats Atlanta and Charlotte in those 18 games, but also dropped embarrassing home decisions to Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York.
Gilbert spoke of finding a scorer to compliment LeBron, a defense-minded point guard, and hiring an experienced, savvy general manager who knows how to win.
At least he's saying all the right things.
He also echoed Zydrunas Ilgauskas by saying the chances of the two-time all-star center returning are about "50-50." Crazy prediction time: Ilgauskas will not be back and current Hornets center Jamaal Magloire will be signed to replace him. Magloire is the the defense-minded, shot-blocking, rebounding center Gilbert sees as ideal. It should be noted Gilbert is a huge Pistons fan and probably considers Ben Wallace the litmus test as to what a center should be.
Gilbert touched on a wide range of topics in his first sit-down postseason interview, but he saved his sharpest barbs for Smith, whom he deliciously referred to as "John A. Doe" in lieu of of actually naming him in The Plain Dealer's interview.
"Most people who know basketball realize what a phony this guy is and how he primarily blurts out fantasies on a daily basis," Gilbert said in the interview.
I expect a return volley from Smith on an NBA pregame or halftime show near you.
If Gilbert is as adamant about building a winner in Cleveland as he is about refuting Smith, the future is very bright for the Cavaliers. Let just hope Gilbert remembers his first (only) job in basketball is to build the Cavs into a winner, and not to fire back at every talking head who has a negative thing to say about him. Putting loudmouths in their place is a time-consuming and ultimately futile task.