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Gone but not forgotten Reign Man is still the talk of Cavs camp
By Marty Burns, Sports Illustrated CLEVELAND -- When the Cleveland Cavaliers strolled onto the practice court at Gund Arena for the first day of training camp Tuesday, much of the focus was on who was not there. And we're not talking about veteran forward Chris Gatling, who as of Tuesday had failed to report. We're talking, of course, about the guy Gatling was traded for in one of the summer's biggest NBA blockbuster deals: forward Shawn Kemp. Often the subject of intense controversy this time of year for showing up out of shape, Kemp never lived up to his potential in Cleveland. Still, several Cavs players insisted they were sorry to see him go. "Personally I'm going to miss him," said veteran forward Mark Bryant. "Even with the extra weight, he was able to average 18 points and nine rebounds a game. That's not too bad." "It made him a couple of steps slower," guard Wesley Person added. "It's why he fouled out as much as he did. [But] when he came out, he gave it all he had. He laid it on the line." Still, Bryant and Person agreed Kemp lacked the same explosiveness he showed during his Reign Man days in Seattle. "Without those extra 10 pounds, he's the best power forward in the league," Bryant admitted. Kemp might be gone, but the Cavs have at least one power forward who looks ready to fill his place. Robert "Tractor" Traylor, acquired from the Bucks in the offseason, showed up sporting a hefty 290 pounds on his 6-foot-8 frame, roughly 10 to 15 pounds heavier than his ideal playing weight. Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Look for his columns
throughout the offseason. Click here to send Marty a comment.
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