Jeff McInnis is already impressed with the man brought to Cleveland in the wake of the Carlos Boozer fiasco, Drew Gooden.

"He's looking for that fresh start and he's good," McInnis said. "He's athletic, got fresh legs, dunking. He can shoot the ball, he can defend. He can do a lot for us. We're just excited to get on the court with him."

"It's a great balance of veterans and young talent," Gooden said after the team finished up the first of two preseason practices Thursday at Capital University.

Any player in the NBA would be happy to join Lebron James, as he attempts to accomplish something so special.

"This is my fifth coach," Gooden said. "Not only have I been getting swapped around, my coaches are getting swapped around. Teammates, I've played with a lot of teammates. I haven't been on a consistent team since college."

Cleveland acquired Gooden after Carlos Boozer signed a six-year, $68 million deal with the Utah Jazz. The Cavaliers, who said they made Boozer a free agent only after he told them he wanted to stay in Cleveland, declined to match the Jazz's offer.

Coach Paul Silas said after the trade that he was confident the team had found a solid replacement for Boozer, who averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds. He said he hasn't changed his mind after watching Gooden in practice.

"He's learning the system now but he has athleticism and he's very confident," Silas said. "He's enthused about being here and that's half the battle. I'm not expecting him to set the world on fire early on but I think in time he has a chance to be a really good player."

"I've never played for a player's coach before and I think it's a relationship where you want to win," Gooden said. "You don't want to let your coach down because he gives you the opportunity to be comfortable and be yourself."