Larry Hughes has been playing with the hand injury since pre-season.

Hughes, who signed a five-year, $60 million free agent deal with the Cavs last summer, actually injured the finger in a preseason game at Milwaukee.

Was it just me, or were there times when Hughes just didn’t look as advertised? Yeah, he’s a big piece, his absence leaves a big hole, but there were some games where he was kind of AWOL, and this probably explains it. Which might mean that when he gets back into the lineup, the Cavs will be even better.

Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc. (via ESPN Insider - subscription required) has already published his first mock draft for 2006. He has the Browns taking Boston College DE Mathias Kiwanuka. He’s 6′ 7″, 262 pounds and he’s known for his pass-rushing ability:

First-team All-America selection…enters the bowl game with 243 career tackles (156 solos), a school-record 37.5 quarterback sacks, 64.5 tackles for loss, 13 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions in 48 games over four seasons…earned all-ACC first-team honors at defensive end in 2005…the 2004 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, he was a consensus 2005 preseason All-America selection…has sacked the quarterback more than once nine times in his career; BC has a 9-0 record in those contests…ranked as the number one defensive end in the nation and as the ACC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by The Sporting News

This draft seems to be loaded with linebackers, defenseive linemen and offensive linemen in the first round, which matches the Browns’ needs very well. Linebacker Chad Greenway of Iowa is projected to the Falcons with the 15th pick. Either of these guys would help the Browns.

McShay has A. J. Hawk going to the Packers with the 5th pick and he has Santonio Holmes going to the Eagles with the 14th pick. He doesn’t have Bobby Carpenter going in the first round.

He also has USC tailback LenDale White going to the Steelers. Let’s hope he’s wrong on that one. I think White will go higher after his performance in the Rose Bowl (assuming he declares for the draft).

If Vince Young and Reggie Bush decide to come out early, this will be one of the most anticipated drafts in history. Should be fun.

Not often the PD’s editorial page comments on the Browns, but I think this is accurate.

So far, Cleveland fans have been patient and forgiving. But thousands of empty seats at late-season home games this year suggest that even their bountiful good will - planted by Paul Brown and Graham and Motley, sustained by Jim Brown and Kelley and Sipe and Kosar, immune even to the machinations of Art Modell - may have its limits.

Cleveland sticks with the Browns because there simply is no place like Cleveland when the Browns are hot. People go insane. A lot of folks may not remember that anymore, but forget the Indians, forget the Cavs, when the Browns are hot, Cleveland loses its mind. That’s why we stick with this team through the patheticness. We remember that, and will put up with just about anything to get it back. Just about.

I thought it would take a couple weeks for the Cavs to figure that formula out, but last night in Milwaukee seems to be the formula. More defense, more Z, and more Lebron. The kid just seems to know instinctively when it’s time, say, for a triple double.