Fringe players view for final Cavaliers roster spots

 Danny Green had the chance to throw the first punch. Manny Harris may have landed the knockout.

With just two preseason games remaining, coach Byron Scott will start trimming the minutes of all the Cavaliers' fringe players as he sets his rotation for the regular season. As a result, Saturday night may have been the final opportunity for guys like Green and Harris to make an impression in a game before final rosters are determined Oct. 25.

If all goes well the next couple of days and the swelling in his fingers continues to decrease, Anthony Parker is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday, when the Cavs face the Philadelphia 76ers in Cincinnati. That will further slice the available guard minutes and perhaps render both Harris and Green to the bench.

Given what they have done to this point during the preseason, Harris seems to have a clear edge.

''I'm surprised by how well he's played,'' Scott said. ''He has played extremely well. You have to be happy for him.''

Harris' first opportunity came a week ago on the Cavs' two-game swing through Texas. He caught Scott's eye by scoring 14 points in 24 minutes in each game and he hasn't let up. Over the last four games, Harris is averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 23 minutes.

Green had the first opportunity during the preseason, but struggled miserably through the team's first two games against the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards. He sat the next two in favor of Harris and has struggled to reclaim his minutes. While Harris played much of the first half against CSKA Moscow on Saturday, Green was left with just eight minutes.

''I look at it as an opportunity for another young guy to do something for himself,'' Green said of Harris. ''If he can do it, my hat's off to him. He's playing really well. He's playing better than a lot of people on the team.''

Harris bypassed his senior year at Michigan to declare for the NBA Draft. An ankle injury at the predraft camp crushed his stock and he wound up going undrafted.

He joined the Cavs' summer-league team in Las Vegas, but the ankle injury kept him from competing. The Cavs liked what they saw at Michigan, when Harris made the all-conference team every year he was there, and invited him to training camp.

Harris is one of 10 children and his real name is Corperryale — a combination of the names of his cousin (Corrine) and his uncle (Perry). The ''ale'' comes from siblings Janelle, Jerrelle and Al. Thankfully, his father nicknamed him Manny after a character from the movie Scarface.

Despite the ankle injury and going undrafted, Harris never regretted his decision to leave Michigan early.

''I knew the circumstances I was putting myself in,'' he said. ''Obviously, I thought I'd get drafted. I just had to work hard and get better.''