CAVALIERS Silas suspends Newble, bans two other players

Ricky Davis and Michael Stewart will not join the team in New Orleans.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Paul Silas isn't going to back down from anyone.
Silas sent a message to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday by suspending forward Ira Newble for one game and banning guard Ricky Davis and forward Michael Stewart until after Wednesday night's game in New Orleans.
"Attitudes have to change, and that's what we're going about doing," said Silas, hired as Cleveland coach in June. "It's just some issues I'm dealing with. I've dealt with issues before with guys, and we'll deal with these and move on."
Davis, who has a history of clashes with Silas dating to their time together in Charlotte, was not allowed to practice on Monday and will not accompany the team on their trip to play the Hornets.
Silas refused to give any specifics on his reasons for punishing Davis, who is averaging 15.3 points.
"That's my decision," said Silas, who spent years with Charlotte/New Orleans before being fired after last season.
Discipline
Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson was equally vague in explaining why the team was disciplining Davis and Stewart and keeping them away from the team for the next three days.
Paxson said the players have not been suspended, and he would not comment when asked if they had been fined.
"They're not with the team right now," Paxson said. "They're not with the team for practice and through the game in New Orleans."
While Davis' situation was unclear, the Cavs suspended Newble one game for his profanity-laced argument with Silas following the Cavaliers' loss on Saturday night in Atlanta.
Newble and Silas began arguing in the coach's office and had it spill out into the hallway after the 6-foot-7 forward stormed out and slammed the door with Silas, one of the NBA's fiercest rebounders, chasing after him.
Newble, who signed with the Cavaliers as a free agent in the offseason after playing with the Hawks, apologized to Silas and his teammates before Monday's practice.
"I was wrong," he said. "I felt like I was out of line, but we're all frustrated right now -- we're 4-10. The main thing right now is that we have to stay together."
Newble said Silas' punishment was fair.
"It's just. He has to make a stand," Newble said. "I disrespected his authority, but we're going to put it behind us."
Lingering issues
Silas, in his first season with Cleveland, said he and Newble have patched things up.
He may not be as forgiving with Davis.
On Saturday night, Silas benched Davis for the final 11 minutes as the Cavaliers lost their 29th straight road game. It was the second time in three games that Silas has sat Davis for an extended period.
The benching came amid speculation that the Cavaliers are attempting to trade the five-year veteran, who has been productive but occasionally lapses into selfish spurts on the floor.
Paxson dismissed any deals for Davis as rumor.
"If I was trying to trade him, he'd be traded," he said. "If we could improve our team, we would trade anybody. You are not doing your job unless you're pursuing opportunities with any of your players."
Paxson added that he trusts Silas is doing the right thing.
"It will be the right thing to help this team win down the road," he said. "Paul's got a lot of experience in dealing with these matters."
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