Podcast 291: Cavilyear in Review
2023-05-14Our silent mourning for the 2023 Cavalier Season over, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, and Chris Francis broke our vows and shuffled into the the podcast booth to break down this wild ride that was the Cavs’ season. The guys look over the year everyone had and try to figure out who’s going to stay, who’s going to go, and who the Cavs should bring in. Who would fit well under the Cavs’ idiosyncratic coach? Who improved? Who didn’t? What do the next few years look like? The erstwhile podcasters take stock of it all.
[Editor’s note, this podcast was recorded last Wednesday night, but due to some technical issues wasn’t able to post till today. Content, aside from some commentary on games in progress, is all still very topical.]
As always, listen below, download the full audio file, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, or Spotify.
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I wish the Cavs picked up Rui, but he’d have to spend a season to earn JB’s trust first
They didn’t have a first. I would’ve liked a trade for him last off season.
Yep
Didn’t the Lakers trade seconds for him though ?
That’s what I thought
Yep they traded Nunn and 3-second rounders
I liked Nunn, where is he now? Neto upgrade
Tony Brothers is the star of this game!
When you’re a star, they let you do it…
Don’t think Jokic can just play facilitator in this one…he’s going to need to look to score…
Shaqtin a fool runaway leader…
LeBron just boned that easy dunk! Yikes! Father Time play!
I seem to recall wanting Hachimura cause his shooting numbers were intriguing (on medium-low volume). I think Chris Francis told me it was smoke.
I’m completely convinced Hachimura was sandbagging the Wizards. Either that or he made a deal with the devil. He’s barely missed a shot in the playoffs.
He was a good shooter the last two seasons. Trust the numbers.
He never shot like this. He was around 30% from three.
He shot 45% in 21-22
Right…and the entire rest of his career around 30%…
He’s only been in the league 4 seasons. I’ll take the average of his last two years: 32% and 45%
Not a defensive liability either. It was Rui covering Jokic (leaving AD more available for help defense) when the Lakers made their second half run in Game 1.
How annoyed are Washington fans right now? How did the Wizards not let Rui shoot more? The numbers were obvious.
Great pick up for LA
I’d challenge that – that ball wasn’t above the cylinder
Lol. Jeff Green. One of the last two Sonics in the NBA.
Jokic is kind of a flopper!
HE’S A RAT!
Don’t tell Jimmy Donuts!
How is that a flagrant????
Hit him in the face. Van Gundy is a moron here
Barely and with arm flab!
I didn’t like that call. It was almost a clean block, he caught the face a little bit but clearly was making a “basketball play” on the ball. Then two minutes later Rui gets clubbed harder than that on top of the head, defender not even pretending to make a play on the ball. Common foul.
It reminded me of the flagrant called on JA at the end of Cavs-Knicks Game 2, where he tried a chase-down to prevent an easy layup late in the game and drew a flagrant 1. Announcers had the same take there – “that was just a hustle play, what was flagrant about it?”
Jeff Green still getting big minutes on a contender is wild…he’s not great…
He’s amazing for 37
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1659292137807048732?s=20
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO
Too bad it’s not Norman Bates – he’s a killer!
haha!
YES SIR THE HATERS OUT IN FULL FORCE!!!
Tony Brothers obviously got the memo from the league office…
Steven A almost said “Anthony Davis… when this mother f’er,” but he caught himself.
Portland is looking to trade their #3 pick to build around Lillard. Would you trade Michell for that pick and pieces?
I think if you’re gonna keep JB as the coach, and not have a more win now mentality, then you should look to make that trade.
I think a better trade would be there next year if you want it, plus I think we can move the ’24 FRP
nah. PDX doesn’t do it either, that’s just Dame and CJ on steroids. Allen and filler for Grant and Nurk might work if we wanted to get weird
3-team trade might work.
If I’m the Clippers I think hard about trading Podcast P and some wing pieces (RoCo? Mann? Powell? Morris?) for that. Need some cost controlled talent
I feel like this playoffs is just yet another reminder of your star player being a Wing. Winds rule in today’s NBA, not small guards.
That’s really not true out west where the best players are Jokic, LeBron (a pf at this point), and Davis. Though the Nuggets wings are very good and the Lakers’ wings have been good enough.
And what holds Embiid back from being the best player in the East is not that’s he’s a center, but lack of mental toughness and maybe conditioning too.
good point, mental toughness is a main part of going from good to great. many of the Cavs need to develop more
have to get punched in the mouth first to be able to take a punch
yeah. a lot of the Cavs were kind of “up on the porch”.
not just “today”. there have been few cases ever of the best players being small guards in the NBA. big is a plus in basketball.
Yeah I can’t think of any other sub-6’5” MVPs since 1980 besides Nash and Curry (2X each), for example. Barkley was about 6’4 1/2 (although listed as “6’6”), but heavier and stronger than most forwards. And that’s it, right? Everyone else 6’6 or taller.
yeah. and Nash being MVP instead of LeBron is a joke — both times.
recall that LeBron wasn’t even on the AllStar team his rookie year! there was talk of the commissioner adding LeBron and Carmello to the ASG due to that fiasco.
Very true. I’d forgotten until yesterday that LeBron also lost an MVP to Derrick Rose, which is even more ridiculous!
So that’s the other small guard MVP I’d omitted.
OMG!
russ and rose
That’s right, Russ also. Looking back, it’s a little surprising to see that Dwyane Wade never won an MVP, but his best year coincided with LeBron entering his peak period and winning his first MVP (08-09), and then when they teamed up they hurt each other’s numbers a bit the first Heatles season and opened the door to someone else (but not Rose, my God!)
last 5 MVPs were bigs, only one wing MVP in last nine years IIRC
the cold harsh light of facts shining on CtB’ers theories
Fine I amend my statement to bigs and wings. Still stands that teams whose best players are small guards don’t win consistently in the playoffs (Curry being the exception).
agree. I was just razzing you on that one.
the future around here is not as dismal as some would make out. there is a reasonable chance that EM can grow into a top end big. possibly JA too. they both need to learn to shoot, and to get off the porch and run with the big dogs.
agree that a really good wing would help a lot!
yes, having five really good starters is generally a good team building approach lol
If the Cavs had a legitimate/prob upper echelon coach and GM they’d be going to the finals. That’s my hot take!
dream on.
They probably would’ve need that Spo/Pop coach to start the season tho
I do have my doubts about JB at this point, but I don’t understand the Koby bashing.
He’s punched about the ballclub’s weight during his tenure in my opinion. He’s also made character a key element of recruitment, which I believe is key. Lotta franchises with more storied histories than the Cavs can’t say that.
For this reason, I WILL turn on him if they recruit Brooks.
Well Koby hires the coach…
And he hasn’t fired him … yet. I don’t think JB acquitted himself well against the Knicks, but I’m not convinced he was main problem.
Someone should write a piece to convince you otherwise.
From your lips….
JB has certainly not shown much ability for winning in the playoffs, but the team is still pretty young. next year will be a different story.
for those in favor of firing everyone, how do you plan to identify someone better?
recall all the demand to fire Spolstra in his first couple years.
Completely didn’t scenario… that was a super team/championship roster, and Spo was fairly new.
He was fine in his first couple years. It was only when they lost to the Mavs that the seat got hot.
Yep and that was pretty much championship or bust
and, now he is regarded as maybe the best coach
right. coaching is luck and circumstance outside of like four guys who we can’t afford and don’t want the job
They would have at least gotten to the 2nd round. I’m not sold on JB taking a team even that far.
outstanding heat win.. and in the gahden.. was korbly watching ?
Korby is in his art class painting a 10 foot canvas of Bickerstiff to hang in his office.
Sweet to KLove with a nice game. Good times.
Glad to see it.
A likely reason for him wanting out is the correct assessment that the Heat have a chance to go the the Finals this year, and the Cavs don’t.
it’s funny how things work. Heat were a half quarter away from missing the playoffs entirely, and needed a double dose of luck (Giannis hurt PLUS that wild sequence to get to OT when he was back).
good on the Heat for capitalizing but no one could have predicted those breaks
I wouldn’t call the Heat’s run lucky. Yes, the Giannis injury was a big factor. But don’t forget two of the Heat’s top four players are in street clothes (Herro and Oladipo) and Butler’s playing on an injured ankle that Josh Hart did his best to cheap-shot and aggravate during the semifinal series. And if they win this series they’ll have taken out the top 3 teams in the East on their way to the Finals.
agree. but one thing you can predict is that 2023 era Jimmy B can lead a team anywhere, kind of like an almost LeBron. hope one or more guys on the Cavs can get to that level.
Kevin had a good quarter. Best 8/6/3 (turnover) game I’ve ever seen.
Finals MVP for sure
I will be happy to see Kevin have a few decent games.
i’ll be happy to, when he has them! he has a good quarter every three games or so? Spo has a quicker hook for him than JB ever did, which is interesting.
people have an agenda, and that agenda requires putting the bar about sixteen feet below the floor for Kevin Love, who has quite possibly been the worst starting big in the playoffs.
Absolutely correct.
I mean I just like the guy, and happy to see him have a few late career highlights. As you get older, good games get rarer, so you remember them forever.
Even if this were true (it’s not – see below), it’s also irrelevant.
Kev is a defensive rebounding specialist with gravity now who can stretch the floor and doesn’t actively hurt you on offense, his skill set was desperately needed versus the Knicks (by the Cavs and Heat).
And this in one of the main blotches in Koby’s copybook, for mine. I still would like to know the inside story of what happened, because no one really does…
that’s a low bar for a starting big on a good playoff team. “doesn’t actively hurt you” is a terrible positive highlight!
The only big worse than him in the top 8 teams was PJ Tucker, a similar non-productive specialist with gravity.
Jokic – Gordon
KD – Ayton
Green – Looney
Bron – AD
MitchRob – Randle
Horford – TimeLord or Tatum
Embiid – PJ
Bam – Love
there you go again!
how rude!
using facts and data to undermine pet theories!
Doesn’t actively hurt you at his worst. Also, ELITE DEFENSIVE REBOUNDER. Did you not catch that part? Nothing I said about defensive rebounding and ability to stretch the floor were key to beating (and for the Cavs, not beating) New York
“At worst” is not what you said initially.
He’s a good defensive rebounder useful in small spurts with the right matchup. He’s a bad player overall.
And championship experience.
we picked up Danny Green at the deadline. he has more
LOVE THE COPING AND SEETHING BROTHER KEEP IT UP!!
did you miss your nap?
Those sophisticated Celtic fans must be appreciating this Heat performance. Glad they have the opportunity to enjoy this game.
Eat it, Boston!
hah! that’s more like it!
I enjoyed that Tatum travel very much.
And another…
I don’t understand how this is possible. I mean, he’s (humbly) one of the greatest basketballers in the world.
i liked him putting it out there. but he and brown are my least favorite good players, although I’m coming around on Tatum’s overall game
tatum and brown not quite getting over shows how damn hard it is to go from young core to ring.
I know the whole “shoving the defender away to create space” is far from new—Jordan made it infamous against Byron Russell—but damn, Jaylen Brown is just blatant with it! If he played DB or receiver in the NFL he’d be drawing flags every other play!
YouTube TV blows… completely froze up on me
Jimmy time…
Reggie just said his balls are sweaty! 😂
“palms”, but it did sound like balls…
😂 I thought he misspoke
Heat’s ball movement about as crisp as you’ll ever see. Impressive.
Good LORD Miami making the Cavs look stupid this quarter.
try to enjoy Miami beating Boston without getting started
Well that was a thoroughly enjoyable quarter.
I enjoyed it. Thought it was just me.
Kev killed it.
Well, I’ll feel a lot better about how KLove’s last Cavs season played out if he ends up getting back to the Finals at Boston’s expense.
Jimmy Butler and a bunch of undrafted dudes…
you think riley and spolstra would have drafted okoro at #5 ?
I don’t think they’d have drafted him 5th, and I also think if Okoro somehow got on their roster Spoelstra would figure out a better way to use him on offense than just standing still in a corner.
that draft was butt – 3 good players out of the first 20 picks
No idea why Boston thinks it’s a great idea to play Pritchard all of a sudden…Butler looks at him and sees red meat…
Kevin. Love Killin it to start the third.
Scam Fraudebayo stinks!!!
KLOVE bodybagging the haters!!!
draining threes, outlet assists, JB knows negative ball
He actually had 0 assists for the game.
Apologies letters incoming 😂
THATS RIGHT ARCH
Love it.
https://twitter.com/jabarismithjr/status/1658867218715750401?s=20
Miami turning back into a pumpkin
Hard to believe this will be a good series for a lot of Love minutes, which isn’t good for the Heat…
Lowry winding the clock back…
With the 49th pick in the draft the Cleveland Cavaliers select:
49. Cleveland Cavaliers (via GSW): Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 6-8 wing | Marquette
2nd rounders are the ultimate crapshoot, but it’s just malpractice if they don’t take a 6’7″-6’8″ wing type of player. There should be a few of those to select from — will any of them be decent NBA players? Who knows, but they absolutely have to roll the dice on one of them.
Complete crapshoot!
pretty much agree, although some picks are dumber than others.
I also rate getting the best player available with your top picks as more important drafting for need.
Jokic was a second rounder.
Sure. So was Bray.So were hundreds of guys who never played a minute in the NBA in that same period.
No thanks, give me Bates
LeBron with some Father Time plays down the stretch
yeah. some fast breaks left without him. I know the feeling — being old sucks (but it beats being dead).
Austin Reeves keeping them in it
Lakers playing pretty well, but Denver just a level above them. Lakers can’t seem to break that 8-10 point buffer.
And Reeves makes it a 3 point game
Jamal Murray, though – was laying bricks against Phoenix and now everything he puts up is going in.
The quality of play between these teams so far, other than the Lakers not getting back on D early, is so much higher than most of the other series.
I watched a stretch in the middle of the second that was a total chuck-fest. About a dozen wild 3 attempts in a row, the N’s might have made one.
That may be, but what I’m impressed by is obviously Jokic playing at an insane level, but also the Lakers sticking to the game plan and not panicking, working the advantages they have inside with AD, LeBron and Rui. They haven’t been able to get close enough “this” game, but I suspect they’ll come away fully confident they can steal Game 2 or 5.
its nice having LeBron.
recall a couple years ago, the discussion on CtB about LeBron being over the hill, couldn’t close anymore, …
He would definitely look great as the starting 3 here right now . . .
Also I should exclude D’Angelo and Schroeder from any kudos.
Pop deserves it.
Just happy he’s headed out west.
I have the same sentiment.. and glad he’s going to be coached by a good coach / quality franchise.
my first thought!
Bruce Brown pricing himself out of the midlevel.
Kinda hope Jokic wins 8 straight.
I’d like to see LeBron get another title, but wouldn’t be disappointed if Jokic won it
same. and either sweeping the Celts would be nice.
I’m good with that
Only team I’m actively rooting against at this point is the one in green.
same
I love that Wemby gets to get coached by the best in the league.
Spoelstra?
Pops better
that roster is AWFUL
Disagree. They’re really just a season and a point guard away
who is the second all star on that roster? Best three guys are OK and young but that’s it. Vassell is fun, Johnson is a fine player, Sochan looks interesting, but after that the cupboard is bare.
compare Detroit with Ivey and Cade or Houston with Green and Sengun and (i guess) KPJ
Fuck it. Let’s offer them Mitchell for Keldon, Vassel, Zach Collins and a bunch of picks (I kid, but that’s the sort of opportunity that will be there if we need to cut bait)
Draft
14. Pelicans
13. Raptors
12. OKC
11. Magic
10. Mavs
9. Jazz
8. Wiz
7. Pacers
6. Magic
5. Pistons
4. Rockets
3. Portland
2. Hornets
1. Spurs
Sus as hell.
Sounds like the Cavs are targeting Naz Reid and Mason Plumlee – per Fedor.
One makes all the sense in the world and they don’t have the juice to get him. The other is a consolation prize that while useful duplicates their existing skillets.
I know nothing about Naz (other than you mentioned him on the pod), and maybe they see Plumlee as someone who can rebound.
he’s ok. flashes some interesting stuff, isn’t great anywhere but can shoot and rebound a little, has a better floor game than you’d think based on #s although some of it is bumslaying. a good flier for a third big.
Plumlee is pretty goon but there’s a place for that I guess.
those are guys. don’t hate it, depending on how it impacts ability to get wing help with MLE
Sixers fire Doc! I think JB could really help the culture in Philly.
Mandatory viewing.
https://twitter.com/rjeff24/status/1658305122307559430?s=46&t=fdBoR0WnIeW-ujxiM4UzAw
Voice of MC Paul Barman? Great stuff
you got it! that was mandatory!
I would definitely bring Neto back, but I would think he’d like to go somewhere where he can get consistent playing time.
Europe? China? (not a joke) If he wants to stay in the nba, playing time isn’t a given.
I think he could get consistent minutes as a backup in the NBA
He’s too small, imo. Opportunities gonna dry up quick.
It’s not like he’s Kay Felder!
Looks like Harden is opting out of his contract and the Rockets will pursue him. Maybe the Cavs should look to trade Mitchell to Philly, since the writing is on the wall, and recoup some of the value they lost.
care to share where you saw this writing?
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/05/woj-lottery-win-wouldnt-affect-rockets-plans-for-james-harden.html#ref=home
OK, I thought “writing on wall” was referring to Mitchell.
BTW, most consider the Mitchell trade a win, not a loss. at the time of the 71’er, pundits were using words like “steal”.
time will tell.
I’d love to keep him. But I don’t see it working out.
even if he isn’t a lifetime cavalier, getting 3 50 win seasons AND the return that Brooklyn got for Kyrie’s expiring (which seems like easy money), is a win and “working out”
i suspect he stays because he needs to get his playoff rep up and going elsewhere to piggyback off more experienced stars doesn’t do that
I suspect he leaves for New York, if the Cavs don’t trade him beforehand.
so they ask him for an extension after next season and if they don’t get it they auction him like Brooklyn with Kyrie. No bad choices
(ps we already did this with Kevin Love in 2015. and with LeBron for years. shit is tiring, and you have no idea, neither do I, but there’s a clear plan B that is good)
I’ve seen their plan A, and I’m not impressed.
That would be a failure of a trade. Like I’ve said and gone back and forth with you on this, they will not recoup value. They will pennies on the dollar. But I get it you’re drinking the Kool Aid.
why do you say that? the Nets made out like bandits on both the KI and KD trades.
Because Mitchell has made it known that he wants to go to NY. So whatever team trades for him will likely know it’s a rental. Also, the Nets got most of their value from Durant, who recently signed a max deal.
he has NOT made it known. all we have is speculation. and again, if he does, we will get value for the player DM is in 2025-26. It’ll be two starters and a pick, book it. We traded one good starter, one bad starter, a rookie, and a handful of non-lotto picks for DM. Kyrie, on the other hand, had something like 3 trade requests in his time with Brooklyn and KD had two. But it’s Mitchell whose unstated desire to leave will = a steep discount? huh???? point of order: Brooklyn signed both guys as FAs, so there was… Read more »
Mitchell, on an expiring, will be more valuable than Damian Lillard is now
Like he’s gonna tell you. 😂😂😂 keep drinking the Kool Aid pal!
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
… pal
Okoro and Osman for Harden and Harris!
YES.. YES.. YES.. the mitchell experiment failed.. perhaps they win a single playoff series next year, but as currently constructed, they are going nowhere fast, and at the end of next year mitchell is worthless.. and gone for ZERO.. total waste of massive team capital for pure mediocre results.. move him NOW.. get some pieces back.. do folks forget that it was the team that passed on paying the king’s ransom for spida that blew him out of the water ???
???
?????
????????
Maybe Korby can hire Silas Jr. to the coaching staff, to collect all the crappiest coaches in the league on one roster!
To quote Brian Cox in Succession, and directed towards the Cavs FO/Coach: “You just aren’t serious people!”
I think this brief summary of the coaches performance to date is reasonable:
Above average: Regular season strategy, players like the coach, no discord, no team problems.
Undecided: Player development.
Below average: Playoff strategy, game to game adjustments, getting top performances out of players.
Would say that is pretty fair, though I have been skeptical of his regular season rotations as well.
I thought that the regular season rotations were unusual (no real pattern); however, I was hoping that there was a method to the madness which would pay off in the playoffs. Not really.
trial and error is necessary prelude to growth. shoot at this stage in the game Boston and Milwaukee were barely settled on the best position for Giannis and Brown
also don’t much like the rotations, just getting near third place.
Above average in the regular season, that most
teams aren’t really taking seriously.
player development seems good, all the core but Allen had career-best games this year and I thought DG and Evan were very much improved. Plus all the G-League guys like Diakate seem like they are productive in spurts. The middle of the roster is a bit of a mess, but the very top and very bottom have benefitted from JB and staff imo
See how well you followed along with us through the 2022-23 season! ✨
PLAY NOW:
https://web.witcontests.com/cavaliers/trivia/cavs-2022-23-season-trivia-230502
I do not understand why everyone is willing to give Garland a pass. If you look at the NY series he had one great game, one good game and 3 absolutely terrible games. He is such a negative on the defense end that he has to be the engine that drives the offense and he was not close to providing that in the series. In order to justify his max contract, he is going to have to do a much better job driving the offense going forward.
I didn’t see that at all. I saw one bad game, but I’d also agree that this is a problem with having two small guards.
To me the 1-6 and 1-7 hurt worse.
I guess my point is that he is being given a pass and not being held to the standard of a max contract player. These are the stats you expect out of a high level role player like an Austin Reaves. These are not what you expect out of a franchise corner stone / max contract player.
bron painting his finest masterpiece (and flawless synthesis of methuselah and the “terminator”).. this one is for the ages.. is destiny at work here ? and his solo up to the summit of mt mike..
I resent the idea that legitimate criticism is viewed as “hate.” When you expect people to improve and compete, they fail to, and you criticise their actions, that isn’t “hate.” It’s just fair analysis.
nicely crafted statement
It is fair analysis to me.Hanging your hat on the fact that you won 50 games before flaming out in the first round just doesn’t sound like an organization willing to take a hard look at what they’ve got.I read a column recently about the relevance of regular season records and how much they mean.We’re seeing that with the Heat and the Lakers playing high level ball.We saw it with LeBron when he was here.There we’re times I quit watching regular season games because they were clearly doing just enough to get in and then flipping the switch.
the switch-flipping is a bad habit, and the players will break it if they want to succeed. that one’s not on the coach
the Kings didn’t sniff 50 wins for a couple decades until having a great year.
…and flaming out in the first round to a wildly overrated Warriors team
yeah. think of the angst probably being expressed on Kings blogs!
they stayed stoked and positive! light the beam, etc. we just have a grumpier fan base. just think about how joyless the LBJ 2.0 years were and the team was GREAT
it becomes unfair when it isn’t coupled with plausible solutions (“take accountability,” “get a time machine and get Kevin Love back so he can shoot 20% for us”) or reasonable context (every young team everywhere eats shit before making a leap)
Well ,you had me at desperation and incompetence,haha!!!!! I couldn’t agree more.Expectations changed when you brought in the big gun.I’m glad to see a winning team,but if that performance is “ok” in the playoffs,there’s a big problem.You have to ask more of yourself.I totally agree with Nate and the fellas.
Thanks, Steve!
I don’t get the desperation comment at all. Doesn’t seem fair to criticize them for not making any moves at the deadline and then call also call them desperate. If I remember correctly the desperate comment came up in the Dillon Brooks rumor, which I have not seen any actual credible reporting on at all to this point.
I guess that’s fair. To clarify, Dillon Brooks is a bad player who doesn’t do anything better than Okoro. Adding him on a full midlevel would mean you’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel: an admission that your own internal efforts to develop a a small forward have failed, and now you’re adding a below average option because you have no other choice. Hypothetically, it would be a desperate and Incompetent move.
With you 100% on your take on Brooks – I just haven’t seen anything that makes me believe the Cavs have any actual interest in him.
OK. I don’t remember the line from the pod, but this is hypothetical criticism.
This is super funny. Cavs have two of the worst coaches of all time on their staff (Sidney Lowe and Luke Walton). The more amazing thing is that of the 30 guys on this list, at least 20% of them have been employed by the Cavs.
https://twitter.com/jdub3o/status/1657225752561975296?s=20
As far as I can tell, Walton is very good at wandering around with his hands in his pockets and grinning knowingly at the ladies.
Reportedly not always in his pockets when it comes to the ladies, unfortunately.
OMG I had forgotten that Byron Scott was HC! What do I need to do un-remember it? 😩
Ben Simmons — more of a jerk than ever:
https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/05/15/ben-simmons-trolls-76ers-after-their-game-7-loss-to-celtics
Man, this site has gone so far down and the preseason expectations built up are so insane. 51 wins and a 4th seed are amazing for a non-Lebron Cavs team in Year 1 of a big trade with a lot of young pieces. 51 wins for a Cavs team without Lebron…look it up. Doesn’t happen often. A top O and D over the course of the regular season as well. The fact that NYK figured them out speaks to needing adjustments but here you are talking dumping the whole coaching staff, turning over the roster…because they lost this year to… Read more »
Meh. Why settle? Don’t be satisfied. Expect better when the talent is there.
and the $millions are flowing like wine at a drunken bacchanal
so much more broke good than bad this year, though! more to go, but the other teams that went all in stank (ATL / MIN), or underperformed worse than us (PHX). it’s an argument for more continuity, not less. sign Gary Trent or Strus or somebody with the MLE, shop Okoro + Osman to see if there’s an upgrade, and let the rest fall to internal development.
kind of alternate reality bizarro world
No one is settling. It’s a process. The fact that this group is giving up on these kids is horrible. Outside of Mitchell these are some young pieces. It takes time.
Who is giving up on the kids? Thought the discontent was with the coach. At least that is and has been my concern for the better part of two years. Just never thought JB could manage rotations, institute a more complex offense, draw OOB plays, or make tactical adjustments at a high level. For me that wasn’t based upon just this year’s sample but his whole tenure. I was willing to give him the playoffs, but I just don’t think he can elevate a team. I think at the playoff level he may hold back a team at the highest… Read more »
certainly true that the coach has yet to demonstrate that he can take a team to the top levels. not obvious if it is time to give up on him.
at CtB, the issue is clouded by the fact that most of the people who hate the coach also hate the GM, who is widely considered to be doing a pretty good job. so you wonder what the real deal is.
I don’t hate Koby. When you’re not the Lakers you have a lower margin for error. Small market GMs have to be better if you want to win. My biggest issue with Koby is not the moves he’s made: it’s the coddling of the head coach. The Kevin Love situation was ridiculous. The edict to JB should have been: make it work. Adjust. Then to say you’re moving on to give Dean Wade a shot and then not playing him? To start Lamar Stevens for 20 games and to give Cedi 2 starts when he’s literally leading the NBA in… Read more »
it may or may not have been a reasonable plan to give Dean Wade a shot.
I think you will agree that it did not show much evidence of working out.
so when you get to the playoffs, are you going to put your best five on the floor, or play Wade because you had hoped to give him a shot?
they gave him a shot: it didn’t work they gave Rubio a shot: it didn’t work they gave Love a shot: tbh that didn’t work either! …look at all the trial and error that Milwaukee, Boston and the Lakers did filling in around their core following its assembly. we are going to have to do the same. it’s not going to be as easy as “hOld CoacH aCCountabLe / mE hate KorBy” — trial and error and even then sometimes you get bounced like MIL. In fact, getting bounced earlier that you think is the likeliest outcome. but the big… Read more »
“make it work” lmaoo aight man don’t get too detailed or we might lose the plot
Who’s talking about turning over the roster? I’m talking about adjusting the roster to make it fit the modern nba game: pace and space. When you add a top ten NBA player your expectations change. You have to be competing to reach the highest level possible. The Cavs were quite content to get the fourth seed and then do nothing differently, and not adjust after getting beaten down in three of the first four games. To me that’s not acceptable. The coaching staff had zero sense of urgency or willingness to try something new when what they were trying wasn’t… Read more »
again, a very nicely crafted statement, nate.. you sound a little like uncle buck if he went to anger management,,
too bad the Cavs didn’t have anyone named “The Admiral” on the team when they drafted Mobley.
the Spurs were a great team before Duncan! what are we even talking about, they won 60 the two years before injury catastrophe. If you add the No. 1 pick to a 60 win team, they are going to be good! We added Evan and added thirty games to our win total over two years (not apples to apples with COVID, but doubling the win total is no joke). Look at Orlando. Banchero was incredible and he only added 12 wins. the idea that the Cavs are not “fighting” is absurd and that the regular season doesn’t matter is equally… Read more »
with ya!
they…probably were competing at the highest level possible given the lack of experience. they just sucked for five games. they had a TON of new over the course of the year, starting with adding Mitchell and then the fluid lineups and then Rubio and and and…they didn’t trust each other, shoot well, or play together against NYK, but the only solve for that is reps and improvement for the core 4.
change is not good for basketball teams. the fact that the conference finalists are the same in 2023 as 2020 is a pretty strong argument for continuity!
YES // AGREE WITH BW —RAOUL —- CHARACTER DOES COUNT ALOT —WHY WE HAD TO DEPART FROM KPJ ——HOPE JA CAN “ MAKE THE NEEDED CHANGES “ —- WOULD BE A SHAME TO SEE SUCH A TALENT WASTED
Haven’t listened yet, but for everyone down about the Cavs future, be thankful it’s not they tied to this dude:
Memphis Grizzlies suspend Ja Morant after he appears to flash a gun again – https://www.npr.org/2023/05/14/1176078019/memphis-grizzlies-suspend-ja-morant-after-a-video-in-which-he-appears-to-flash-a
Would rather root for a fun, likable team that are perennial first round fodder than whatever upside you hope to get out of morons like Ja.
totally with you.
Yep.
i love Ja as a player: but think Garland is the better pick for the next two years at leat. availability and shooting (baskets from 3, not the other thing) matter.
Ja might never play again. the fact that he is still flashing guns after all the trouble he is already in does not show much brains. and with the people he presumably is hanging with, he could get shot.