Some coaches complain about a lack of practice time even as they cancel it to give their players rest.

Byron Scott has been reluctant to pass on any training opportunities. Since the regular season began the Cavaliers have practiced on every off day except one.

“The lockout, in my opinion, hurts the teams with a core of young guys and us being one of those teams,” Scott said. “We want to get as much work done as possible without killing the guys.

“Some days I just want them coming in to smell the gym, to just be in there and not do a lot of running but [stay active] from a mental standpoint.”

Scott will not hold practice Thursday after coming off the team’s first back-to-back games. The Cavs have just five back-to-backs in the first 21 games, affording them more practice time than many teams. Of course, they will pay for it later in this condensed schedule, but the coach wants to get his youngsters up to speed as quick as possible.

“We want to understand what we are doing on both ends of the floor,” Scott said. “We don’t have to go through pounding. We just want to be mentally in tune.”

Body clocks: The Cavaliers begin their six-game road trip today in Toronto before flying to Minnesota. The team will play in four time zones over the next 10 days.

It will be a new experience for rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, who said he plans to get as much rest as possible and follow the lead of veterans. Anthony Parker said a player almost has to go through it once or twice to get his body clock straight.

Curry’s take: Dell Curry isn’t quite an expert on Irving, but he has a fair amount of insight as to what the former Duke point guard is facing during his rookie season in the NBA.

Curry, a former Cav who is now a broadcaster in Charlotte (N.C.), is the father of Seth Curry, a junior guard at Duke, and Stephen Curry, the No. 7 pick in the 2009 NBA draft by Golden State out of Davidson. Before Tuesday’s game, he was asked what advice he gave to Stephen before his rookie season that might apply to Irving.

“First, find a coach he can really learn from, usually an assistant,” Curry said. “And watch film. I think film is big for young guys — to watch yourself, your mistakes and the things you do well. It’s tougher for a point guard. He’s got to learn everybody else’s game and his own. I think film is even more important from that aspect.”

Asked if he thought Irving had the makeup and/or personality to handle running the Cavs, Curry said: “He’s very tough-minded. I think that’s something he learned at Duke — from practice and the games. He’s coachable, and he plays with a lot of energy. That’s something you really can’t teach.”

Plain Dealer reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer contributed to this report.

Read More: Baron Davis (G – CLE), Daniel Gibson (G – CLE), Semih Erden (C – CLE), Omri Casspi (F – CLE), Manny Harris (G – CLE), Cleveland Cavaliers

Another day of hectic training camps, another day of injuries to report. The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves with a couple significant ailments, the least of which isn’t to Baron Davis, who missed his fourth-straight day of practice. His third was Tuesday, when he was seeking a second opinion, and according to the Plain Dealer, the second opinion didn’t have good news. Davis is out indefinitely with a bulging disc, though the current estimate is two-to-three weeks.

In other news, Semih Erden is officially out three weeks with a broken thumb. Daniel Gibson missed practice with a tooth extraction which, obviously, shouldn’t keep him out long. Omri Casspi is day-to-day with a right knee sprain. Lastly, Manny Harris was shooting after practice, but officially missed practice, and is projected to be out for two weeks. 

The Plain Dealer is calling Harris’ injury, officially, a foot ulcer. The two weeks is currently a loose figure.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — There are occasions when a celebrated youngster doesn’t make good early impressions upon his arrival to a new team with curious coaches and experienced players watching.

Such, so far, is not the case for Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Kyrie Irving.

So far, Irving has demonstrated the type of qualities observers look for in a first overall draft pick, which is exactly what the Cavs made him after he had played just 11 collegiate games for Duke University.

Rick Noland writes for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette that Irving has impressed Cavaliers coaches and players during the early days of training camp:

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was talking rather generically about top draft picks Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, but a quick comment within his answer spoke volumes.

“Kyrie,” Scott said Monday at the team’s annual media day, “has a chance to be a superstar.”

The Cavs have only practiced five times over the last four days and don’t play their first preseason game until Friday in Detroit, but the

19-year-old Irving, taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, has made a great first impression.

“He can play — simple, point blank,” veteran guard Daniel Gibson said. “I just like his pace and his tempo.”

“Kyrie is very talented,” said center Anderson Varejao. “He can go to the basket, he can shoot and he’s athletic. He’s got moves. He’s a smart point guard.

“It’s never easy to come into the league and do it all your first year, but he can really help us. I believe he is going to do a good job for us.”

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Tom Reed’s story that the Cavs will start Anderson Varejao, under-sized for the position, at center. Video interviews of Varejao included. Also, Mary Schmitt Boyer’s Cavaliers Insider, featuring the return of guard Anthony Parker, with a video interview of Parker; a report that former Cavs star guard and current television analyst Austin Carr will be given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

Also, with those of Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker, video interviews from Monday’s media day by Dan Labbe and David I. Andersen of coach Byron Scott, point guard Kyrie Irving, forward Antawn Jamison, guard Daniel Gibson, forward Tristan Thompson and point guard Ramon Sessions.

Pick and rolls

Anderson Varejao is ready for the challenge, Bob Finnan writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

First-round draft picks Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson take some pressure off each other. By Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Cavaliers center Ryan Hollins played a different role at Monday’s media day. By Sam Amico for FoxSportsOhio.com.

Video interviews with several Cavaliers on NBA.com/cavaliers.

Looking ahead to the 2011-12 Cavaliers. On the blog “Waiting For Next Year.”

Anthony Parker re-signs with the Cavs and point guard Baron Davis leaves training camp to get another opinion on his back problems. By Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Observations about Daniel Gibson, Manny Harris and Christian Eyenga, on the blog “Waiting For Next Year.”

What Anderson Varejao’s presence, and absence, meant to the Cavaliers last season. By Benjamin Flack for the Bleacher Report.

An interview with Kyrie Irving on Cleveland’s WKNR/850-AM featured on sportsradiointerviews.com.

Sports Illustrated SI.com’s NBA free agent tracker, including available free agents and free agents who have signed with teams.

Lithuanian big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas is retiring from the NBA after 13 seasons, 12 of them anchoring he middle for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ilgauskas spoke with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which tweeted his quotes.

Ilgauskas: “enough is enough. My body is beat up and I’m tired physically. There is no age limit, but everyone knows when it’s time.”

More Z: “I want to spend more time with my family. I have spent the last 15 years living out of a suitcase.”

Ilgauskas suffered serious foot injuries before coming to the NBA and had a couple of foot surgeries, not unlike the ones that ended Yao Ming’s career. However, Ilgauskas was just 21-years-old at the time and his body was able recover well enough for him to play at an NBA level. His deft outside touch — he took 5 shots from 16-23 feet a game in 2009 and hit 44 percent of them — allowed him to rack up double-digit scoring per game in 10 of his NBA seasons.

Ilgauskas was beloved in Cleveland, where he stuck with a troubled franchise for years then was a key part of the LeBron James era. Ilgauskas was very involved with some Cleveland area charities and was really part of the community.

There has been talk of retiring Big Z’s number in Cleveland.

Ilgauskas followed LeBron to Miami last season but was unable to provide the inside presence the Heat needed. He was just not physically able to do it anymore.

So he is just going to walk away. He will be missed, he was one of the good guys of the league.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Winning the NBA draft lottery and coming away with the first and fourth overall picks affords the Cleveland Cavaliers’ personnel experts a great chance to take full advantage of the work they’ve put in.

Bob Finnan writes about the Cavs’ draft preparation for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal:

If the Cavs use their first and fourth picks on Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and Turkish forward/center Enes Kanter, respectively, they would have a total of 11 games of collegiate competition under their belts (all by Irving). But that wouldn’t prevent the Cavs from taking them. They have been building profiles on each player for several years.

Kanter played professionally in Turkey before trying to come to the United States and playing college ball. That plan was derailed when the NCAA ruled he was a professional.

Grant said the Cavs’ staff got together and broke down tapes of Irving’s 11 games this year. This happened before Tuesday’s draft lottery.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Mary Schmitt Boyer’s report that mock drafts, etc., aside, its the Cavaliers’ opinions that will determine what players they draft; her “Hey, Mary!”

Pick and rolls

Players who improved their draft status at the NBA combine, by Sam Amico for FoxSportsOhio.com.

A mock draft on SportingNews.com.

Is Enes Kanter the most intriguing prospect in the draft? By Zac Jackson for FoxSportsOhio.com.

Cavs and NBA notes by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Nick Gilbert, Chris Grant and other Cavaliers talk on Cavs: The Blog.

On NBA.com, an analysis of the point guards in the draft, and of the centers in the draft.

Testing scores of prospects at the draft combine, on DraftExpress.com.

A mock draft by Bob Finnan for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.