It’s a disturbing analogy to think of Zydrunas Ilgauskas as the sexy woman at the bar everyone is trying to hit on (good luck getting that image out of your head). But it’s the truth. Teams are lining up to use their best pickup line on the veteran center after he was waived by the Wizards.
And everyone in the bar knows he’s going home with LeBron anyway.
The Mavericks have made their pitch to Big Z and his suddenly-popular agent Herb Rudoy. So have the Hawks. Also in the bidding will be Denver and the Utah Jazz (and maybe more, David Aldridge said on TNT last night seven teams may make a bid).
What do those first four teams have in common? They likely need another big man to make a serious title run (and match up with the Lakers/Celtics/Magic/Cavaliers). Denver coach George Karl keeps saying Denver is “about half a player short” of the Lakers. He and the other coaches look at the 7'3" Big Z and see more than the half a player they need.
Doesn’t matter. Off the record everybody admits Ilgauskas is going back to Cleveland. That’s who drafted him and where he has played 13 years. That’s the city he calls home and where he is invested in the community. That’s the place the fans have an unnatural affinity for him.
That’s where Ilgauskas wants to win a title. And that’s the reason none o the other teams stand a chance.