"Antawn Jamison's troublesome left knee is quickly becoming a concern. Once that heals, coach Byron Scott believes his troublesome shooting touch will cure itself.

Jamison was inactive for Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks with swelling in his left knee. Scott believes the knee is a big reason why Jamison is just 7-for-22 from the field to start the season. He was 8-for-38 during the preseason, but Scott remains much more concerned with the knee than the offense.

''I think they go hand in hand right now,'' Scott said. ''The knee has been bothering him since the preseason. We just want to get that as healthy as possible. Once that is rectified, I think he'll go back to being the Antawn he's always been, which is able to knock down shots. I think the injury is obviously affecting his shooting a little bit.''

The Cavs better hope that's all it is. They still owe Jamison about $30 million between this season and next. If they decide to blow up the roster, it will be difficult to find a taker for Jamison in his present condition.

The Cavs were the only bidder last season when Jamison was available, which is why they were able to acquire him for the meager price of a low first-round pick.

Stuck in the middle

Scott was interested to see how the Cavs would respond after so much defensive work in practice on Monday.

Scott counted 25 Sacramento Kings possessions from Saturday that ended with middle penetration. By comparison, Scott said the Cavs allowed the Boston Celtics to get middle penetration on just 12 possessions in the opener.

''You're not going to win when you give 25 middle drives,'' Scott said. ''Middle penetration in this league, you just give guys too many options. You try to take away the middle of the floor as much as you can.''"