Quick Takes/Offseason Open Thread Part Deux

2024-09-20 Off By Chris Francis

Good afternoon CtB!

Apologies for the slow pace during the offseason, but things should pick up soon…. here’s where things stand today:

1. Isaac Okoro strikes a deal

Restricted free agent Isaac Okoro became the last Woj bomb and final piece to the Cavs slop season by signing a three year, 38 million dollar deal to remain with the good guys. As free agency went along, the market spoke and decided that Ice was far more valuable to the Cavs than any other NBA team. As such, the Cavs retain a core rotation piece at only a slightly inflated price. If Coach Kenny Atkinson can unlock some more offense out of him, the contract could become extremely valuable in the near future. At worst, the Cavs have themselves the consummate regular season “innings eater” that is necessary to keep a good team afloat when the inevitable injury bug hits. Congrats big dawg!

2. Coach Kenny (and Spida) get their man

New York Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant has agreed on a deal to become associate head coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. Bryant will join Kenny Atkinson’s new staff after four years with the Knicks and the previous six with the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/ywyjxpMVst

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2024

Coach Kenny Atkinson has appointed New York Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant to the associate head coaching position for the Cavs, securing the services of the coach credited with Donovan Mitchell’s professional development. Interesting that like Atkinson, Bryant cut his teeth in the NBA as a skills development coach and worked his way up the ranks. IMO, this is a smart move given the relative youth of the team and the need to extract more winning production out of their younger players. Also, anything to show Donovan Mitchell that he’s the face of the franchise has to be considered a good move.

3. Last Word: Mike Fratello the G.O.A.T.

this was neat. charting it really gives you a sense for how much more "credit" we can give coaches for their team's defense performance vs. their offense https://t.co/ZvEDZ474sJ pic.twitter.com/RS6eTpvJjA

— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) September 20, 2024