Choose Your Own Adventure: You Are David Griffin!
2014-05-30
In elementary school, my favorite books were the “choose your own adventure” ones. I enjoyed being able to exercise limited creativity by picking the end of my Goosebumps book. Just going through the door on the right could land you in a locked room with some creepy dolls moving slowly towards you to hold your hand. Ringing the doorbell to the door on your left could lead you to tea with an older woman that needs friendship. I’m not sure what’s worse.
Getting the top pick has set up the Cavs with a wonderful “choose your own adventure” situation. The team has the opportunity to take the Jabari Parker path, the Joel Embiid path, or the Andrew Wiggins path. Each one leads to a new room: some rooms are dark and dreary filled with first round playoff exits, others are bright from the shining gold of Larry O’Brien trophies.
The Jabari Parker Path (Eighth Seed Forever)
Jabari Parker is probably the most NBA ready player in this draft. He could come into the league and average 14-18 points a night for the Cavs while adding a few assists and four or five rebounds. However, he isn’t going to be doing this through his elite athleticism. It’s going to be all intelligence and trying very hard. Even during college, he was still using his IQ to score. NBADRAFT.net throws around words such as “polish” and phrases such as “Remarkably advanced basketball IQ” to describe his game.
Needless to say, he would help the Cavs immediately at a position that has a backlog of players not developing quickly. In the long run, his growth is only going to be in the scoring department, and as soon as his limited body goes, he is going to have to fight even harder to score. If the Cavs draft Parker, it is saying two things.
The team wants to be the 8th seed now and the team believes Kyrie Irving is going to be a big part of the future. The team with Parker is going to be like the Detroit Pistons. Jabari Parker is Josh Smith (presumably with better shot selection and less athleticism), while Kyrie Irving is Brandon Jennings. Look at the turnovers and assists for both players being at 2.7 and under eight respectively. That isn’t very reassuring.
The worst part about that team is that the Cavs don’t have a big man like Andre Drummond to help with blown defensive assignments.
Cleveland would also become the ultimate isolation team. Kyrie, Dion Waiters, and Jabari would be calling for the ball at all times to clear the floor out for a drive or a shot. They’d be racing towards the ball like it was the start of an XFL game.
Also, you may have noticed, above, that I didn’t even mention trading the pick as a potential path. Trading the pick is the same as getting Jabari Parker. Both choices make you turn to page 139 which reads, The team gets an immediate impact player, but you are not building anything that is sustainable or going to lead to title success. After three years of losing in the first round of the playoffs, Dan Gilbert fires you as GM. You return to Scottsdale to open a chain of gelato parlors. Still, an 8th seed is better than what the team has now.
The Andrew Wiggins Path (Descending Seeds For The Next Several Years)
The Andrew Wiggins path is a bright path in the book. Andrew Wiggins doesn’t need the ball, is an elite athlete, runs the floor, and will be a lock down defender. He could play well with Dion and Kyrie by getting transition points and cutting to the basket for easy layups. On the Cavs, I imagine him as a Luol Deng like figure that has the constant movement Deng could only exhibit sporadically. Wiggins still has to learn how to dribble and play more of a ball-dominant style, but it’s something that will probably happen. Look how much Paul George has developed. And George is a player that is an inch taller than Wiggins at six-foot-nine but has a similar wing span at six-foot-11.25.
Wiggins is going to come in and pack the box score having nights with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. He’ll be the type of player that has all of his points without dribbling, just thunderous dunks in the lane from cutting. He’ll also be the guy that wins a lot of games, but you wouldn’t know it just watching him. Once he learns how to dribble, overcomes his supposed timidness, and wants to be the man, he will up his scoring and could be an impact player on the level of LeBron James.
This choice for the Cavs tells me that they are committed to gradual, but continual growth. Would the Cavs have what it takes to win in the playoffs with Wiggins and Irving in the next four years? I don’t know, but letting Wiggins develop and signing solid players is going to make the team a contender every night. Wiggins will be able to help the whole team improve by locking down troublesome opponents, not requiring the ball, and giving the Cavs extra possessions. Irving and Waiters will love his hustle and the option to get easy assists to pad their stats.
This choice leads to page 189: Dan Gilbert calls you into his office and says, “We were the seventh seed last year. We’re the sixth seed this year, and Wiggins is averaging 15 points a game instead of 12. We haven’t blown any 10-plus point leads in the last five minutes this season, but I still need more.” You respond, “This is a process, partner, and we will not trade for any one year rentals. We’re gonna be relevant from now until forever. Damn it.” You pound the table, put your cowboy hat on, and prepare to draft another supporting cast member to help Wiggins develop.
The Joel Embiid Path (The Cavs First Title And Spurning of LeBron)
The more I think about this path, the more I know that taking Embiid, if the medical checks pan out, is the best option. Joel Embiid actually makes me feel like Bilbo Baggins when he stumbles into the gold room of Smaug. I’m terrified things may not work out, but secretly delighted that the outcome may be so amazing. Embiid would bring an immediate defensive shot blocker to the team and raise the defense considerably without the team having to pack the paint and give up threes. He’s also quick enough to be a pick-and-roll partner for Kyrie.
I predict Embiid comes to the team and averages nine points to go with 12 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He’ll also average at least one, “Oh man, is he human,” highlight a game when he dunks from the foul line over half a team. His biggest impediment to averaging more early on is fouling. He averaged 5.8 fouls per 40 minutes during college.
The Embiid Path says the Cavs want to win now while building towards the future quickly. Embiid could pair well with Kyrie Irving and will improve the team enough to make the playoffs next year as an eighth seed. However, when he matures and 
becomes the next Dwight Howard, a player you can just surround with shooters, he is going to be a walking title machine. The big guy has only been playing organized basketball for three years. Another few years is only going to help him become more dominant. Everyone on the Cavs will love him because when they mess up on defense they just get the ball swatted back to them for an easy rebound.
This team could quickly look like the Magic that went to the finals in 2009 with one man inside surrounded by four shooters. If the team could reach this point early on as far as playing style goes, they would be a handful in the next few years. Would the Magic have won the finals if they were starting Kyrie Irving instead of Ralfer Alston? I think so, and that’s what the Cavs are destined to do with Embiid.
Picking Embiid leads to page 240: One year removed from drafting Embiid, walking into a press conference, after a 2nd round playoff win in game four against Miami to tie the series at 2-2, a reporter asks you, “Did you ever think they would make a rule that Joel Embiid and Matty D can’t be on the floor at the same time because they are too suffocating? But seriously, in the second quarter, you held the Heat to nine points. How?” That offseason LeBron decides to come back to Cleveland, but Dan Gilbert waves a new letter in front of him and says, “No, LeBron, we won’t be second choice.” You sign LeBron four days later and everyone forgets about the letter.
There is a bonus adventure in choosing the Embiid Path: Tristan Thompson becomes a bench player or learns how to shoot enough to somewhat spread the floor with Embiid. If you flip to page 300 where Thompson develops a jumper to play with Emibiid being only in the post, it simply says, Try again, don’t stop world class talent from developing a jump shot. Your path is clear.
Gordon I’m split between the two and flip flop between them everyday. I imagine that when Dan Gilbert fired Chris Grant he screamed at him “a man in my position can’t afford to be made to look ridiculous!” We’ve probably hit defcon level one with the mandate to make the playoffs. Are they in a position to wait for Embiid to develop? Are they willing to take the chance on a player who’s had back issues for the past two seasons? I dunno. In an ideal world they draft a healthy Embiid and he percolates into the best center of… Read more »
Wiggins was a better 3-point shooter than Beal or Waiters in college, and improved to 37% behind the arc by conference play. He also got to the line at will and was a good FT shooter.
http://www.shotanalytics.com/2014/05/13/draft-scouting-andrew-wiggins/
I’d rather have Hayward then Gee….
SF Gordon Hayward would be the new craig ehlo~Someone’s going to shoot a buzzer beater over him and the Cavs end up losing in the eastern conference finals or something
I can totally foresee this LOL
I’d like to see SF Gordon Hayward in a Cavalier uniform. I think he’s a winner.
@ Cory
Good stats. Look, I’ll be Wiggins’ biggest fan if we draft him and I do think he has an incredibly high ceiling. However, if he doesn’t improve his jump shooting, I think his ceiling is much lower than we all think. Drafting a freak athlete who can be a great defender would be incredibly beneficial to this team.
I think Embiid has just as high of a ceiling, if not higher, and fits this team better. But if Wiggins is the pick, he could easily prove me wrong.
Raoul,
Yeah Dwight Howard is a C though. Not many shooting guards in the NBA can’t shoot. As Cory Hughes annotated a couple comments above.
My point is you are more likely to develop a shot than you are to develop post moves.
Gordon,
Ill buy that.
Embiid is impressive. We are lucky if we draft him. I just think we are lucky if we draft Wiggins. Both have pros both have cons.
Here’s three players freshman shooting percentages: Player A: 2P% .541 3P% .339 FT% .769 Player B: 2P% .455 3P% .205 FT% .726 Player C: 2P% .493 3P% .341 FT% .775 Player A is Bradley Beal Player B is Kawhi Leonard Player C is Andrew Wiggins Beal was compared to Ray Allen coming in and had a lower 3P% and FT% than Wiggins. Leonard has drastically improved his shooting ability in the NBA. Special players in the NBA kill themselves to become better. Wiggins has been working on his ball handling and shooting footwork for a month and he’ll continue to… Read more »
…I’m also exaggerating in saying Wiggins “hasn’t learned to shoot.” But you know what I mean – it’s a weakness.
@kojo My comment was way too general. My point is that I think a talented 7 footer like Embiid who is already a freak athlete and has shown great footwork, can learn a few post moves to implement into his game. This would be easier than Wiggins learning to dribble and shoot. If we were hoping Embiid could learn to shoot, I’d say that’s a ridiculous thing to hope for in a 7 footer. But he already knows how to and has already shown an ability to dominate with speed, strength, and quickness down low. He’ll need to pack on… Read more »
Anybody hear anything new on Kevin Love?
kojo,
But, lots of NBA players never learn to shoot, other than within a couple feet of the basket. I (and no doubt lots of other CtB regulars) would kill Dwight Howard in a foul shooting contest.
Gordon, “A big man learning post moves is not as difficult as a SG learning how to shoot/dribble.” If the above statement is true then why the frick are their no elite centers with low post games anymore? If it is easier to learn post moves than it is to learn to shoot then offensive games would be dominated below the basket instead of around the perimeter anymore. i love Embiid, I hate that argument though. Its a lot easier to learn how to shoot a basketball than it is to learn post moves as is evidence by kids on… Read more »
If Anthony Bennett comes back and dominates do you think the Cavs will rehire Chris Grant?
I like that there’s 3 choices and all of them improve the team(degree of improvement is speculative). Last year’s draft wasn’t that. I also agree about Kyrie. He has 2 full years left. Everyone is acting like the Cavs have to deal with his contract now.
Gordon,
yes.
He’s also been the most physically and athletically dominant layer he has lpayed against in any game ever unless he has played LeBron.
LeBron couldnt shoot free throws or 3s early on. He learned and developed. You can learn how to shoot a basketball and dribble one. You can’t learn to be 6’8 with a 44″ vertical.
This is kinda dumb. no facts just speculation. I mean, I know it’s a blog and all but most posts on here have some facts, evidence, blah blah to back it up. All you had to say was …
1. Embiid
2. Wiggins
3. Parker.
Pass it around.
Hey Ross, I don’t think Hawes is a defensive stopped by any means. But, he pulls down 8 RPG a game and averaged over a block a game. He fits what you’re building and got us results other players hadn’t gotten. I’d gladly invest in him since he’s relatively young and has experience. TT has no idea what his game is. Griffin has eluded to his questionable development. AV is on the downside of his career and can’t play a full season. You can’t invest 10 million a year in that. If you’re Kyrie, you know you’re the most talented… Read more »
Wiggins has been playing basketball his entire life and can’t dribble at an NBA level and doesn’t have a very good shot. After 20 years you think he’s suddenly going to learn how to dribble a basketball from Kyrie and shoot the ball drastically better? Call me crazy but I don’t want to take a SG/SF at #1 who can’t shoot or dribble well enough to create for himself. Seems pretty dumb to me when you have Embiid on the board. Sure, Embiid could bust, but the guy has been playing basketball for… 3 years? Scouts talk about his instincts… Read more »
Keith, I’m with you that we should drop the Kyrie bashing, but I have no idea how you could think that Hawes has a good game both ways. He is a very versatile OFFENSIVE basketball player. His defense leaves a lot to be desired.
To me Embiid is the only choice. I know we need a SF, but it’s so rare for a C of this quality comes around. Add in the fact that AV is aging and it makes since to draft Embiid. If we retain Hawes, put him in the four, with TT backing him. Embiid can back up AV for the start of the season as he gets in a groove, then switch it. I’ve always liked AV’s energy off the bench. Someone posted earlier about Dion being a better PG an that KI would be a better SG, an it… Read more »
Raoul, I agree with you whole-heartedly. I don’t think there’s any problem filling out the roster with potential. All of those guys are NBA athletes who can bring something to the right team. My point is that I hope Griffin can really fill out his vision, particularly shooting and shot-blocking, by filling needs instead of praying random players work out. We saw small success with Ellington, Speights, and Walton. Why? They created shooting and floor spacing for guys like Kyrie and Dion. Grant’s moves just never lined up. For example, his trade for a great NBA player in Luol Deng… Read more »
Keith, You have some good points, but bad rapping the selection of “Alonzo Gee, Earl Clark, Samardo Samuels, Donald Sloan…” is a total red herring. Those guys are basically walk-ons who got some run because of the overall weakness of the team. Zero draft choices were wasted in getting them. (Clark was signed as a FA because he was a MB favorite. Maybe that was an early sign that MB is not cut out to be a head coach. MB would be a great Boy Scout leader.) Every team has 15 places on the roster, with maybe 10 or 12… Read more »
Hawes was such a huge upgrade and fit right next to Kyrie. Hawes spaced the floor, rebounded well, and was quick in transition. He actually has a good game both ways. We’ve rolled out SO many players that just aren’t versatile basketball players: Alonzo Gee, Earl Clark, Samardo Samuels, Donald Sloan…my goodness, I’m just going to stop. I love how this article references the Magic 4-1 potential you could have with Embiid in the middle. That’s the right identity in my mind. Then you need to ask, as Griffin seems clear about, who fits that vision? TT? Heck no. AV?… Read more »
Hawes is a two-way player? You mean because he’s a Republican AND he plays basketball?
I really think we need to focus on Griffin’s expected 3 or so moves and not try to look and overevaluate one big one. We’re going to try and keep Kyrie to make moves around him, specifically shooting. In the past, we’ve given far too much time to players that aren’t a match for Kyrie. TT isn’t a match. I think Dion can be; in my mind he’s earned another season. TT and AV aren’t a fit. Could one come off the bench? Sure. Here is something I would love to see. Kyrie. Dion. 3 SF. Hawes. Embiid. Go after… Read more »
James Simmons sez: “Let’s see what KI does with a decent coach”.
Good point.
Last year the accepted wisdom became that KI and DW could not play together. In retrospect, that is probably a MB problem more than anything else.
Btw, comparing Paul George’s soph year (the only year I can find his advanced stats) and Wiggins lone season, George’s defensive numbers are far, far better. Wayyyyy better def rating. Twice as high a steal pct., higher defensive and total rebound pct.
On offense George had a higher TS and eFG pct then Wiggins and a wildly superior assist rate! Wiggins had a better off rating overall though. George also had the higher W/S and PER.
Nate gives opinions backed by no numbers. He even mentions Embiid’s “defensive footwork” which according to every scout who has been quoted, Embiid has “good” to “great” feet. But Nate knows better! Of course, Embiid has a better defensive rating than Wiggins but by all means, pretend that Wiggins will come into the league as the better defender, in spite of you know, the evidence. Then he exacerbates his silliness by going full-on crazy by bringing up random “busts” who have little-to-nothing to do with Embiid as a prospect. None at all. He of course, accuses someone else of “crazy… Read more »
I’m really fine with either of the Kansas guys. The Cavs already have a core of guys who miss games in Irving, Varejao, Bennett and Waiters. I get why you take the chance on Embiid. That back has to be crystal clear to pass up Wiggins though.
I’m with you James. 12-15 points off of off ball movement, put backs and free throws along with stellar perimeter defense doesn’t sound like to shabby of a rookie year to me.
@Cory – not just off ball movement but transition buckets as well. The dude glides like a gazelle in the open court.
@Brandon because you aren’t going to get a Kings randsom for Irving. You don’t think other teams know that there are 30 solid PGs in the league?
I’m with you James. 15-20 points on off ball movement, free throws and put backs along with lock down perimeter defense doesn’t sound like settling to me.
Also, although I am leaning towards Embiid, I don’t get why people care whether Wiggins can put up 30 a game. The one thing our team is not short of is ball dominant scorers. If he can get 10-15 a game in transition and cutting that is far better for us than a player who needs 20 shots for 20 pts.
If we don’t pick him, do it because Embiid is better. Not because he isn’t a new LeBron.
I honestly think that either player improves us.
Just please not Parker!!!
@Gordon Their defense would be terrible in that scenario, but David Griffin could cancel his Cialas prescription with the floor spacing, ball movement and open threes it would provide. It’s not happening, but he is the one rebuilding this roster. I don’t thing they deal for Love, but Love WANTING to go to LA is overrated. He wants to win. He actually kind of ripped te Lakers earlier this season when he said that the TWolves are a better team than the Lakers. I agree with Nate. Embiid doesn’t have the highest floor. He actually might have one of the… Read more »
In my opinion the only way you trade Kyrie is if he won’t resign with us. There’s been a lot of Simmons’ bashing going on recently but his 90% theory is very applicable to Kyrie. A player who can legitimately score 40+ pts a game is a rare commodity and it would be foolish to trade him if he is prepared to stay. Our teams biggest problem is not him, it’s player fit. Not the illusion that him and Dion can’t play together, rather the fact that we have very little stretching of the floor by our 3 or 4… Read more »
Lots of “Point guard don’t win championships” stuff going on here. I mean not by themselves, but Tony Parker has been the best player on a championship squad. One could argue that Rajon Rondo was the second most important piece of a championship squad. Lebron, btw, is a borderline PG currently. There are any # of combinations that will win championships. We don’t need to get rid of Kyrie because of what position he plays and the makeup of past winning rosters. Just figure out how to make up for his weaknesses with the surrounding cast. Last I checked it… Read more »
Nate,
Cannot disagree with your comment, but everyone’s floor is “bust”. The issue is how likely is it to happen.
A quick trip through the graveyard of Center Draft picks reveals a lot of busts. Very few hyper-athletic wings with outstanding length that became busts.
@Nate Smith….lol don’t compare Embiid to Kwame, Olowakandi, Pervis, or Diop, Jesus that makes me sick. The CAVS are drafting Embiid for sure.
Trade KI or not? The only thing that matters is if it is a good trade. And, that is hard to know. For two years, KI was rocketing to superstardome. What about year three? Maybe that was a hiccup, and he will continue forward, leading the Cavs far into the playoffs every year. Or, maybe he is turning into a head case. Maybe somewhere in the middle. If you have inside knowledge, one way or the other, that would help you make the decision. Since we have no inside knowledge, we (the CtB gang of experts) have to weigh the… Read more »
“Embiid has the highest ceiling and aside from the back injury, the highest floor. ” WHAT?! That’s just crazy talk. Embiid’s foul rate, his defensive footwork, and his lack of understanding of the game all make for a very steep learning curve. The “highest floor” talk is nonsense. There’s every possibility that Embiid could be a complete bust who can’t stay on the floor, has back issues, and can’t develop beyond a simple understanding of NBA defenses. Now do I think that’s going to happen, no. But “bust” is Embiid’s floor. Anyone who says it isn’t never saw Michael Olowakandi,… Read more »
@Cory CAVS should go with Embiid, he will be the best big since Shaq. Seeing Andre Drummond play well makes me want to puke knowing the CAVS passed on him. Embiid is way better than Drummond right now IMO, lol.
@rossgumdrop … a lot of people discount the fact PGs do not win titles. I think CAVS management should keep this in mind during decision making. If the CAVS can get Ariza, I would be fine with that versus trading Kyrie for Tobias Harris and Exum (I am a big Harris fan), but I don’t think Orlando would make that trade. I would rather have their lineup with Exum than giving up Harris for Kyrie. What I do not want to see is Kyrie’s situation turning into KLove. Minny loses leverage with Love as the trade deadline approaches. Kyrie commands… Read more »
@Cory – we’d have the world’s worst defense. Yuck.
Love the choose your own adventure theme. All three of these players are worthy #1 picks, just not for the Cavs. Parker is another PF. While he most likely has a higher ceiling than Bennett or Thompson, it become a wasted asset unless the Cavs have a deal in place to trade TT or Bennett for a legit SF. Parker might also have the most trade value of the three at the moment. Jabari appears to be the most logical pick for Milwaukee at 2. They need a go to scorer and his defensive short comings aren’t as pressing with… Read more »
@ryan ” Wiggins’ offense comes from his ability to finish in transition, a skill that does not translate nearly as well in the pros and especially in the playoff setting as defenses begin to tighten up” The Heat thrive on turnovers as well as pretty much every top NBA team and a player that gets down the floor and makes teams play rushed is a big help. @jhill I’m pretty sure that having an NBA caliber player leading the break with you helps you finish at a much higher rate. Wiggins is going to be a really good pro, defense… Read more »
If we draft Embiid, it is true that we will still need a SF. Good thing we have cap flexibility and the salary cap is expected to significantly rise again this offseason. Restricted FA options: Evan Turner (meh), P.J. Tucker, Gordon Hayward Unrestricted FA options: Paul Pierce (old), Vince Carter (old), Shawn Marion (old), Lance Stephenson (unstable), Mike Miller, Thabo Sefolosha, LeBron James (if he opts out), Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng Now, I’ll be the first to admit, the market for SFs is somewhat slim pickings. It remains to be seen if LeBron is actually going to hit the market… Read more »
THANK YOU, Hot Sauce. The idea of trading Kyrie for unproven rookie prospects is maddening!
Brandon, how can you say in one breath that Kyrie would return a king’s ransom and in the next breath say that PGs are a low priority and can easily be replaced? Those two statements are seemingly incongruous. You aren’t making any sense, man.
@Gordon lol “Embiid or death” I like the strategy, but the CAVS will need a SF. Trade Kyrie to Orlando for example (which I don’t think they would do it). CAVS get Tobias Harris, Exum and maybe the 2016 unprotected. I would retain Hawes and play him with TT. I would start Hawes and TT at the beginning of the season and slowly work Embiid/Bennett into the starting lineup by the All Star break. Jack/Exum Waiters/UFA – Stephenson/Marshon Brooks/Shannon Brown Harris/Miles TT/Bennett Hawes/Embiid/Zeller That will never happen; instead Miles will probably start next year at the 3 or some UFA… Read more »
Love the Embiid love. Good take Gordon.
On the Kyrie trade, I would only do it if we get an established player in return. Despite his flaws, Kyrie is a young guy who has already reached an all-star level Trading him for more draft picks makes no sense to me. We need to be careful not to fall in love with draft picks. I know this draft is sexy, but we do not need MORE young guys, especially in exchange for one of the young guys who actually is already an all-star.
@Jhill If the CAVS can get a king’s ransom, why not trade him now? Like I said (and you agree), PGs are a low priority and easily replaced. I also think Dion can develop into a formidable 2guard with Irving out of the picture. He has the NBA body. What do you think about Jack/Exum, Waiters, and Tobias Harris? I like that. I don’t think the CAVS can compete in/for the playoffs next year without Lebron. Unfortunately, I think the CAVS will hold onto Kyrie because of bias, trade talented young players (who have not developed) and have a glaring… Read more »
Also, trading Kyrie is ridiculous unless he’s told the front office he will not re-sign with them. If that’s the case, you trade him to a team in the top 7 (LAL, Boston, Orlando, etc.) and do what you can to grab Exum or Smart. You also make damn sure you pick up that team’s unprotected first in 2015 as well. Imagine Kyrie will two (at least) other legitimate weapons on the team. Dion and Kyrie have not figured out how to be most effective with each other on the court. But they’ve also been the 1-2 guys with no… Read more »
“Give me Embiid, or give me death.” I understand the thought that building around a “big” does not tend to equal championships in today’s game. However, we are in a different situation. We’re not drafting Embiid as the only talented young player on our roster. We can surround him with Kyrie, Dion, and Bennett. Kyrie is a sharpshooter (let’s hope he returns to that form), and Dion was a 20 PPG scorer in the second half of the season. That’s a much different story than the likes of Dwight Howard in Orlando surrounded by role players. Embiid has the highest… Read more »
Also just because your best player can’t be the PG for a title team is a stupid excuse to trade a good point guard unless you are getting a better contributor in return. Just because the best player on the Mavericks is a PF doesn’t mean they automatically win a title every year.
Don’t get me wrong I love Kyrie and have flip flopped on trading him and firmly sit in the keep him camp. But lets not kid ourselves that just because we like someone means they have lots of value. Defense at the guard position is more about effort than anything as Delly proved. I’m not asking him to stop Westbrook I just expect him to keep Augustine from getting a career high against us. I think he can do it.
PGs do not win titles or if your PG is your best player, you are not going to win a title. Look at Chris Paul, he hasn’t won squat. Westbrook is really a two. Parker is second fiddle to Duncan during their titles. I am just saying Kyrie’s stock is high and PGs do not win titles. Isiah was the last to do so as the best player on a given team and that was 1988. Magic even had Lew Alcindor averaging 22 a game at the age of 40. I will say that I think Embiid and Irving are… Read more »
Kyrie is like top 15 maybe. The problem is what is the difference between say the number 8 and number 12 pg? Almost nothing other than maybe a slight difference in stat or you like the team they play on. Norris Cole was like the 30th pick and he is crazy decent. There are back up pointguards Clips and Thunder that are probably top 20 pgs. That means that Kyries value as an asset is severely limited. Star power has value but little of that matters when it comes to winning ball games.
Wait Brandon. Kyrie’s a top 3 PG and you want to trade him?
Only finished like 54% in transition which is terrible for someone who’s only offense comes in transition. Nik Stauskis finished in transition like 70% or something like that. You want at least 60-65% in transition. But Wiggins can’t even do that. He’s only 6th on my draft board personally.
The CAVS can get a king’s ransom for Kyrie. I think he is a top 3 PG…maybe the best (Westbrook is a 2). Considering a PG hasn’t won a title since Isiah, I am trading him now.
So sick of trade Kyrie talk, especially when it’s coming from Cavalier fans.
And yes, agreed with posts above, Embiid over Parker and especially Wiggins should be a no-brainer unless there is a serious concern for back injury. I am not nearly as high on Wiggins as most people – the comparisons to Paul George are fair but still flawed as George had a very well developed jump shot when he came to the NBA (45 and 37% from 3 in his first two years of college) compared to Wiggins (34%) and even now PG’s offense starts with his ability to shoot the three. Wiggins’ offense comes from his ability to finish in… Read more »
Tobias Harris is a 21yr old above average 3 IMO…6’9″ 235..I would take him over Deng.
I would definitely trade Kyrie to Orlando for the 4 pick and filler. With the relative scarcity of quality shooting guards in today’s league, backcourt size is at a premium. The rise of the pick and roll and motion offenses necessitate versatile defenders who can’t be abused when they’ re switched onto a larger player in the playoffs. Add to that the fact that quality undersized shooting guards are exponentially easier to obtain compared to legitimate shooting guards with size and you can see what a rare commodity big point guards are. I don’t have much faith in Kyrie’s ability… Read more »
Should the CAVS trade K.I. to Orlando for the 4th pick and Tobias Harris (I would also want the 2016 as well)? PGs do not win titles meaning your 1 should not be your best player. KI would be a better Tony Parker to Embiid for sure….potentially I think Irving and Embiid can be better than Parker/Duncan. But I think the CAVS can do it without Irving.
@kyrieswirving Ceiling of LeBron but without the handles or passing is stupid. Because without the handles or passing LBJ wouldn’t be LBJ. Paul George is your AT best comparison when in reality he probably turns out being Paul George without the offense which is a player you don’t really need on a team. Paul George’s development centered on a lucky late growth spurt and decent development everywhere else. His dribble was high but he could at least drive without turning the ball over like Wiggins tends to do against any competition that is at least decent.
Parker is a tad better shooter than Josh freaking smith. Also, Josh smith is actually a good defender. That is a terrible comp. He is a lot closer to Melo than his is Josh smith. Still a bad fit for this team, no doubt, but I’m pretty sure he could help get us to at least a second round playoff exit every now and then. Wiggins will never ever ever have a lebron level impact, that statement is absurd. His ceiling is Lebron without the handle or passing ability. Still very good, but clearly way worse than actual Lebron. JHill,… Read more »
I don’t trust Wiggins to go on Paul George type path, he just doesn’t have the basics that George had coming in. Embiid was always the choice. If it doesn’t work out no one can blame you.
I’m firmly on #TeamEmbiid