Links to the Present: Accepting Blame Edition
2014-04-15
The Cavs season comes to a much needed end tomorrow against the Brooklyn Nets; the team has looked sluggish the past two games against the Bucks and Celtics. The amount of effort exhibited by Kyrie Irving and the team as a whole has me wondering about the future. Maybe, the Cavs are still another season away from the playoffs if effort has anything to do with results.
Kyrie Irving has been very truthful about his effort. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald & The Morning Journal has some of Irving’s quote on the topic.
“It’s disappointing based on our effort,” Irving said. “Our fans definitely don’t deserve it, especially at the end of the season. We preached it and said we wanted to finish strong, but teams are just getting the best of us. Just our effort level wasn’t there. It’s disappointing, and we have to be disappointed in ourselves. The last two games, the fans don’t deserve it.”
The type of effort being displayed scares me, especially when it is from the Cavs’ supposed star. However, it’s refreshing to see him own up to and address the topic.
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Luol Deng continues being a wonderful figure in the community. Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer reports that he has won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Deng is involved in quite a few community projects.
In the U.S., Deng’s work has been focused primarily on the communities in which he has played, Chicago and Cleveland. He has funded Thanksgiving and holiday events that provide meals and toys to the underserved and has also served as a mentor to the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” He is also an avid supporter of the NBA’s Basketball without Borders program and has participated in PSA’s to raise awareness for World Malaria Day.
It’s sad that Cavs fans have probably seen the last game from Deng in a Cavs uniform.
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Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer reported that the Cavs will try to resign Spencer Hawes. He’s supposedly a favorite of David Griffin.
Griffin values big men who can pass and shoot. The Cavs have been asking Hawes to shoot even more.
Since being obtained in a deal with Philadelphia for a pair of second-round picks, Hawes is averaging 14 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting .464. On 3-pointers, he’s at .457. His outside shooting allows the middle to be open, creating room for Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving to drive to the rim.
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Bud Shaw of The Plain Dealer has some funny quotes from readers and even himself about the Cavs this week in his “You Said It” post.
An amazing (and pathetic) stat: If the Cavs win their final game, it will be the most wins for a non-LeBron Cavs’ team since 1998! – Tim, Canton
Let’s just say this column makes Byron Scott’s Cavs and the 2013-14 Sixers look like the “Showtime” Lakers and Red Auerbach’s Celtics.
This Cavs season may be disappointing, but masking your true anger in humor is always better than just being angry.
PShaia- Not sure where you are getting your numbers. Based on your estimation of cost for those players, the total salary for your proposed roster- NOT including two more draft picks (Anderson and McAdoo)- is $72.1 million. The proposed salary cap for next year is about $62 million. And even if Gilbert was willing to pay a little tax next year….how would they resign Kyrie and Waiters the following year with those numbers? It’s not like Thabo, Turner, and Monroe are all going to sign one year contracts. All that aside, dollars are the easy part- how do you manage… Read more »
Greg Monroe is going to make more than $9 million. Evan Turner is not worth $7 million (I’d rather have C.J. back at half the price). For a much more effective player, go send a 3 year twelve million dollar deal Shaun Livingston’s way. Thabo is not worth $5 million per. He’s just not. Rule #1 of building a contender. Don’t overpay role players. I will say, the one thing in Thabo’s favor is that this is a terrible free agent year for defensive wings. He and Trevor Ariza will probably get overpaid for this reason.
At the end of the day, I’ll be happy with the upcoming offseason if the Cavs DO NOT trade Dion Waiters. I’m excited to see him play next season. I think he takes a big leap. He’s proven he can score in the final month or so of the season. He and Kyrie need to sit down to a bottle of whiskey and a few joints, and hash (hehe) things out. The talent level there is incredible. Both can get to the basket and both can shoot. Anthony Bennett will be like an additional draft pick this season. I know… Read more »
If Griffin likes big men who can pass and shoot, shouldn’t that be bad new for Thompson?
Also, Hawes is a terrible defender. On a good team, he comes off the bench.
Not sure why you think that is a fantasy team or we don’t have the money to pay them. First the three of them made identical to Deng’s contract this year. Yes, Monroe will demand more money but so will Deng to stay in Cleveland. Dan Gilbert is a big spender and if he feels like he is putting the best quality on the court he is willing to spend. Turner will be around the same price range as he was this year thanks to his dismal performance in Indiana. And if I remember wasnt this the site that wanted… Read more »
If the Warriors fire Mark Jackson I pray we jump all over him and give him oodles of cash. He’d be perfect for Kyrie and for Dion to learn from. Doubt it happens. I just really don’t like Mike Brown, didn’t like him during the LBJ days and don’t like him now.
Raoul,
You’re right. I wasn’t thinking about pay scales or anything just qhich one I’d rather have on my squad all things equal.
I have lived with the motto from my high school coach and now convey it to the athlete’s I coach ” TALK IS CHEAP “—–KYRIE/ CAVS / NEED TO READ / UNDERSTAND/ BUY INTO THIS ————– nate I agree with you –I have never been impressed with turner’s skill at this level—–Livingston has more n.b.a. upside
Evan Turner is not a very good pro. Cavs would be much better off trying to move Jack and sending money Shaun Livingston’s way.
If we could draft Noah Vonleh, trade Tristan(maybe for Asik?), re-sign Hawes, this roster should be set. However, as much as I love Mike Brown, it just seems he can’t motivate the team, bring guys together, or design an offense that can utilize ball movement. I know a lot of people want to blame Kyrie for the over dribbling, but it seems that might just be the gameplan, just as it was during the LBJ days. Difference is, Kyrie isn’t ready for that kind of responsibility and I think he just gets overwhelmed trying to do too much, the others… Read more »
Thank you PShaia, for playing “this fantasy team would be awesome, but in truth is completely illogical”
We don’t have the cap room to sign all those guys and keep Hawes. Thabo is a SG, and Dion Waiters is better than Evan Turner.
Cavs Off-Season moves
Free-Agents
C- Greg Monroe
SG- Evan Turner
SF- Thabo Selfeloso
Draft
9- Kyle Anderson
33- James Mcadoo
Re-Sign
C- Spencer Hawes
Roster
PG- Kyrie Irving
SG- Evan Turner
SF- Thabo Selfeloso
PF- Tristan Thompson
C- Greg Monroe
PG- Matthew Delladova
PG/SG- Jarrett Jack
SG- Dion Waiters
SG/SF- Sergey Karasev
SF- Kyle Anderson
SF/PF- James Mcadoo
PF- Anthony Bennett
PF/C- Anderson Varejao
C- Spencer Hawes
C- Tyler Zeller
Turns out the last game means a lot to the Nets. The Cavs might be able to knock them out of the 5 spot. Let’s see who brings their A game and who pouts.
Rodney and kojo; I sort of agree. The key is the player value / pay ratio: If Hawes thinks his late season good showing means he will make superstar money, we cannot keep him. At a reasonable cost, he will be great. Deng reportedly thought the Bulls lowballed him with an offer of 3 years / 30M. If so, he is out of touch with reality. But he has a lot of good aspects. If he comes to his senses and takes a reasonable offer (for a pretty good player his age), he would be great to keep. I also… Read more »
Rodney,
I agree.
I’m weirdly disappointed. I guess I mean, they didn’t just suck like normal Cleveland teams. They showed so many instances of being competitive to good with all the teams in the league but they were so random. That’s what disappoints me. You never knew – even quarter to quarter – how the team was going to play. All teams have a down week, couple weeks, month, whatever. This team was so up and down that they got your hopes up but you knew you were going to get those hopes throat punched. It’s Cleveland, who we gonna draft? Depending on… Read more »
I’d rather have Hawes than Deng. Weird