Pop Quiz: Cavaliers Off-Season
2015-08-10
August is a terrible month for concentration. Amid all of your trips to the beach, gastrointestinal conundrums like this nestled beneath unassuming tents at the state fair, and attacking your “before summer’s over” bucket list with the precision of a drunken surgeon (which, really, let’s be honest, is just a much longer list of g.i. ticklers… like any one of these), it can be difficult to keep focused.
But the 2015-16 NBA season kicks off in a mere 11 weeks, so there’s no time for us here at CtB to laze about and get the mental version of a paunchy tummy (physical versions… well, that’s another story). We need to stay mentally sharp — on the ready.
In the absence of an ESPN-affiliated drill instructor to kick in our CtB barracks door at 4:45 am and make each one of us recite LeBron James’s career shooting percentages with five seconds or less on the shot clock for games decided by exactly three points while running uphill carrying a Mo Williams jersey filled with rocks, well… we opted for a quick pop quiz instead.
Feel free to play along and match your own off-season Cavs mental prowess against our crack team of writers. Or… you know… start looking for rocks for your Mo jersey.
Tom Pestak: I shook my magic 8 ball and the response was mysteriously “Bledsoe”. I’m going to interpret that as False.
David Wood: False. However, Tristan will be re-signed eventually. His contract will be friendlier than expected because no one else can offer him, or will offer him, close to what the Cavs can.
Nate Smith: False. It will happen in the first few days of camp in October.
Evil Genius: False. Rich Paul will have TT sign the Q.O. just before camp starts.
Ben Werth: False. There is no real incentive for either party to rush a deal.
Cory: Figity false. This staring contest will last until early October.
2.) Barring significant injury, how many games will LeBron James play this season:
A.) more than 75
B.) between 68-74
C.) between 60-67
D.) whatever getting a pair of two week hiatuses during the season, as well as being shut down for the last week of the regular season adds up to.
Tom: Barring significant injury I say B, because of D.
David: A. The King isn’t always going to be the primary offensive option as the team meshes this season. He’ll play less minutes in more games this year but still be refreshed.
Nate: A. The NBA is (finally) trying to limit back-to-backs and four-in-fives. This will help LeBron see the court more, though his minutes will be reduced, and he’ll still get a few nights off.
EG: A. It’ll be more about minutes management than missed games for LBJ.
Ben: A. The Cavs are likely to win between 65 and 70 games with its current roster. Bron will play far fewer minutes, but will play in almost all the games in order to secure the most wins in the NBA.
Cory: B. LeBron will get his maintenance vacation around January.
3.) True or False: Richard Jefferson will average near last season’s mark of 16.8 minutes a game (in 74 games played). [For comparison: Shawn Marion averaged even more minutes per game than Jefferson last year (19.3) but in only 57 games.]
Tom: I’ll say 16.8 plus or minus 4.2 minutes per game. Don’t know if that’s true or false…
David: True. Jefferson is going to take up some of the small forward minutes. He’s our only SF with true SF size.
Nate: True. Jefferson will spot start a few times, and the Cavs will try to limit LeBron to 35 a night. They’ll share the floor as well.
EG: True. More minutes for RJ will be why LBJ doesn’t miss too many games.
Ben: True. RJ will get about 18 minutes a night. He can play a bit as a stretch four as well.
Cory: False. Jefferson will see about 14 minutes per game.
4.) Which of these stats is Joe Harris most likely to set a new career high in 2015-16:
A.) Games Started (1)
B.) Total Points (136)
C.) 3 point percentage (.369)
D.) none of the above
Tom: B. There should be a lot of garbage time for JoeHa to pad his stats
David: C. Young Joe is only playing this season if he can show he’s an automatic corner shooter. He should be super glued to the corner spot six hours a day right now trying to earn some LeBron assisted treys.
Nate: E. All of the above, but it will be for the Charge.
EG: If the Cavs sign both JR and another vet wing… then D. If they don’t… then C.
Ben: D. I have a hard time seeing Joe on the roster by mid December.
Cory: B. Harris will be the human victory cigar this year.
5.) True or False: the reported mutual interest between Jamal Crawford and the Cavaliers (regardless of the fact that he is still under contract with the Los Angeles Clippers) is about more than just management showing J.R. Smith they are willing to move on without him.
Tom: I’m praying False.
David: False. This is about showing the league that this team can handle Crawford’s DH style of play and actually turn it into a plus with their bench squads.
Nate: False. MIKE MILLER outplayed Crawford in a head’s up matchup last year. Crawford went 3-12 and was -19. Jamal is (insert picture of toast).
EG: True. There’s really nowhere else for JR to go (if he wants the best chance of winning on a team where he knows he can play decent minutes and is a good fit). Cavs can always use another wing who can shoot threes (they still pursued Ray Ray last year).
Ben: False. The Cavs have no interest in another guard/wing who can’t defend. It’s just noise.
Cory: True. I’d much rather have Smith at this point. Crawfish might be the leagues worst defender.
6.) Which Cavs player not named James, Irving or Love is most likely to have multiple 30-point games in 2015-16:
A.) Iman Shumpert
B.) Mo Williams
C.) Timofey Mozgov
D.) J.R. Smith
Tom: I’d wager that no one outside of the Big 3 will breach 30 more than once. And that one time will be Mo Gotti.
David: A. Iman can score like crazy when he gets upset. In game six against the Bulls, Nikola Mirotic clotheslined Shump and Iman shumped the crap out of the Bulls for nine quick points. Who is gonna lay him out for the extra points?
Nate: A. Mo Williams, a player destined to shine in end-of-the-season garbage games, and a spot start or three.
EG: E. (none of the above). Hard to imagine any of these guys (other than maybe Mo if he has to start for multiple games due to injury) touching 30 even once this year…
Ben: Multiple means more than one. Mo went for 20 plus 18 times last season, but only eclipsed 30 twice. 52 was Mo’s high for the season. His next best outing, 31. Still, with all the open threes Williams will see this season, he will likely get 30 a few times.
Cory: D. If you have to count on J.R. Smith, you’re in a bad spot. When he’s your fourth or fifth scorer, it’s ham gravy.
Answer Key: Question #1: False… that much is probably clear by this point. Question #2: B. Y’all really think LeBron is going to miss fewer than seven games this season?? I mean, it’s possible, but I’m not betting on it. Question #3: True. Or False. But only if False means he’ll average more. RJ should be a really solid contributor for the team this year. Question #4: D. Now, go out and prove this test maker wrong, Joe! Question #5: True. It’s also about keeping the dream of the Brendan Haywood trade exception alive! Question #6: B. Welcome back to Cleveland, Mo Williams!
My question is , Is TT a better player than Aldrege who singed with Spurs ? If he is not then why ask for similar ontract? I like TT on Cavs team and hope he sign and enjoys winning. To me he is a very good role player at the most. Go Cavs.
agree with you joey / not trying to bash T.T / enjoy his energy on the floor—eventually thought T.T. is going to have to make a decision HIMSELF what does he really want from his nba career and NOT soley acting on the advice from his agent
Just want to throw this out: Let’s try not to bash TT too much. He hired an agent to do a job, and he has to trust his agent. We can rail on Rich Paul if we want. TT has done everything the team has asked him to do. There is nothing wrong with him trying to make as much money as he can. If he, at some point, decides to sign with another team, then he’s made a decision we can criticize. But right now, its just his agent doing agent things.
1. True – Cavs budge slightly to avoid TT signing the QO
2. B – closer to 74 than 68 though
3. True
4. B – Garbage time points
5. False – it’s ONLY about mgmt trying to prove a point to J.R.
6. B – Mo Williams goes off a couple of times this season
The Mozgov question after this season is huge. Even with the cap jump can TT and Moz be making $20M/year long term even with the coming cap jump? KLove doesn’t want to play center and shouldn’t play center. TT is a terrible rim protector and ideally shouldn’t play center. Moz is more valuable in my mind (and also still developing) and we can’t overpay TT if it keeps us from re-signing Moz. My guess is Gilbert will pay a $50-$100M tax for the first ring, but likely after that we will have to be much closer to the cap. And… Read more »
Not sure where you are coming from on some of this stuff…
TT isn’t an elite rim protector, but he certainly isn’t terrible either. It’s a widely held opinion that he actually plays better at center than he does at power forward.
Our interior defense to start the year last year was atrocious. If you think banking on a 6’9″ guy as your starting center is a good idea I don’t know what to tell you. From ESPN “Thompson is a below-average rim protector, having blocked just 1.0 shot per 36 minutes last season and allowed opponents to shoot 52.2 percent on attempts within five feet of the rim, according to SportVU camera tracking available on NBA.com/Stats. Only a handful of starting centers, including Jordan Hill, Al Jefferson and Nikola Vucevic, allowed higher percentages at the rim.” Thompson is a disruptor. A… Read more »
Welcome back to the fray, AdamD.
TT should do some research on past players who ” went for the money ” ( and ended up on pathetic teams –aka see Carmelo Anthony ) and then realized it was far more important to play on a competitive team with the opportunity to win a championship every year —-to me the cavs offer ( and I am sure they will ” sweeten the pot ” more ) and the chance to play with this nucleous of players for the next 5 yrs is the right decision to make —–T.T. DON’T BE FOOLED BY MONEY ALONE —YOU WILL REGRET… Read more »
Excellent summary! Hopefully this is just posturing on Rich Paul’s part, to make it look like he is doing everything possible to get his player overpaid. If TT goes somewhere else, it will be like Nick Swisher’s tour with the Indians — occasional great games, maybe make the first round of the playoffs once. TT is an excellent role player, but not someone you can build around.
The TT situation is an example of an agent playing ultra hardball to enhance his own reputation, even if it screws the player. TT will never be worth as much to another team, so if he “never plays with the Cavs again”, he will be playing for less money, and watching the Cavs on TV during the playoffs. If I was the Cavs, I would offer a token slight increase so everyone can save face. If things turn ugly next year and TT career is botched, the meteoric rise of Rich Paul’s agency will have jumped the shark.
I’m really tired of Rich Paul at this point.
Unfortunately, he’s also got the crazy stupid contracts (like Enes Kanter for 4 years/$70M, and Draymond’s 5 years/$85M) to compare to. TT is arguably more valuable to the Cavs than Kanter is to the Thunder, and maybe equally valuable as Draymond. 5 years at $94M seems like an overpay, but 5 years and $85+ may not.
Also, you can bet this gets spun into a “Dan Gilbert just doesn’t want to pay the exorbitant luxury tax” angle by the media at large… which is unfortunate.
BLEACHER REPORT HAS DONE A NICE ARTICLE/ BREAK DOWN ON T.T.’S VALUE / FUTURE
so the TT thing bring up a lot of question – do we give him the big contract now ( overpay ) and put us even higher in the luxury tax / but lock him up for 5 yrs give him an QO still retain his ” bird ” rights and it is a gamble by BOTH sides —cavs to hopefully be able to sign him —-PAUL / TT to have a productive year / and stay healthy to be marketable next summer – as a cavs fan who ( if you are only going after 1 player to resign… Read more »
If you believe Rich Paul… the Q.O. will ensure that TT will leave next year. Although, wonder if he’d actually leave a potential championship team that can still offer him the most money next summer… Seems like posturing to get the Cavs to pay now.
Summer time b ball
http://uproxx.com/dimemag/2015/08/chris-paul-alley-oop-swimming-pool/
… So what about the dunk itself? That pass down the slide sets it up nicely, then you get two cross-pool passes with people jumping in before Paul himself gets his pass in, a quick touch for the final setup leading to the ultimate oop. As far as execution is concerned, it was practically flawless. No unnecessary flourishes, no craziness on the dunk, just a thunderous “AAAHHH” with two hands to make sure it got through the mini hoop. Everyone involved deserves a cool frosty milkshake.
1. False – he signs the QO and we deal with it next year. Think he has a mediocre to good year and ends up signing for $15mil/year. 2. B. And I think 74 is the number. Think he takes a few games off for back rest. He misses a couple for injury as a “precaution” 3. True – 18-20. Especially if he’s still shooting the 3 like he has the past couple years. 4. B. He turns the slightest of corners and is a fairly reliable 3 point threat, able to take advantage of more garbage time. 5. False… Read more »
You Win! Exactly what TT did. I do think it is his last year though. Wouldn’t be surprised to see his name in trade talks.
Whoops info based on a deleted tweet.
1) saw the same article on TT —DON’T SEE CAVS DOING THE $ 94 MILLION – I like T.T. but believe that is too much — G.M LEBRON WILL BE THE FINAL DETERMINING FACTOR WHETHER HE GETS THE CONTRACT OR NOT 2) 30 minutes / game —our bench is deeper/ more blowouts / team has 1 year together / they have figured it out 3) will be more serviceable than the matrix 4 ) season pt total will be more —-again more blowouts / more chancs for smoking joe to ” light it up ” 5) his ” new bride… Read more »
This situation also happened with AV in 2007. And I believe also with Drew Gooden and Pavlovic.
Yeah I remember Pavs and Varejao holding out. Caused some turmoil. 2008 was an underwhelming campaign until the exciting Celtics series.
Ugh just pay him. He’s not worth it but with the cap rising it won’t look as bad in a couple of years.
I can’t stomach that TT could get paid as much or more than KI. I don’t care. I offer him same contract as Draymond Green (even though Green is probably the better player) and I don’t budge. Unless LBJ steps in, I dig my heels and let him walk.
I agree. This is making me think very poorly of TT. Asking for way more than he’s worth. Yeah he played well last year, but he’s the only Cav to stink up the place with excessive greed. And then there’s the Spurs….where it’s not about getting the highest possible $$$.
Maybe TT should take a look at that TEAM.
Kind of fine with them holding firm at what Green got. If they want to go the QO route, trade him for Morris.
Sam Amico @AmicoHoops 1m1 minute ago
Tristan Thompson’s agent, Rich Paul, tells @Sportsnet TT may sign 1yr Qualifying offer with Cavs. If so, it “will be his last year” w team.
This is just annoying at this point.
Just saw an article where it said TT/Klutch was asking for the max 5/94. Cavs won’t do it. The article also suggested TT’s negotiation is following the Bledsoe path.
As for the comment about “last year” with the team, what else is he going to say? HAHA! He would have no leverage if he said otherwise.
Okay, best of luck where ever land. Thanks for letting us know early. Now if you sign the QO we know to trade you for value instead of keeping you for nothing.
1. Thompson will be signed before the end of August. True
2. A. Move than 75 games, Dude is a beast
3. True, Blatt is going to cut down on starters minutes so Jefferson will get some run
4. Joe Harris sucks
5.True, in a perfect world we’d sign both JR Smith and Jamal Crawford, but if we can’t get Smith back Crawford is fine as consolation
6. B. Mo Williams because Irving tends to get injured.
Good stuff guys. I keep bumping the CTB page looking for anything to read.
I like all the answers except for #2. No justifiable reason that Lebron should play 75+ games. And with the bumps and bruises he takes I can’t see him sitting less than 8 games. He sat 2 weeks as a precaution last year. Why would he play through it now?
For what it’s worth… LBJ has only ever played less than 75 games in a non-strike affected season once… and that was last year’s 69 games. He took the two week hiatus because he was hurting and not in top basketball shape. Maybe B is a safer answer, especially if the team storms out of the gate and clinches early, but I don’t think (barring injury) that we’ll see another sabbatical like the one last year. LBJ should start the season in much better shape just by working out with Team USA…
I hear what you are saying but I don’t think Lebron missing time last year was an aberration. He’s getting older and these kinds of bumps/bruises have more of an impact on an older guy with a ton of mileage (how many consecutive Finals?) than a 20-something. Being in better shape certainly helps but saying he won’t miss 7 games all regular season? For what reason? To prove what? He’ll sit on a precaution a time or 2 and no one will bat an eye with Kyrie, Love, Mo Gatti, TT, Moz, etc all picking up the slack.
We had this mileage discussion a lot last year. He’s not a car. He takes excellent care of himself. It’s not as if he’s where Kobe is at and should be taking second nights of back-to-backs off. The dude is 30. He’s not an “older guy” yet. Yes, I expect him to play fewer minutes next season, and (again barring injury) would probably plan on taking a game off here or there (especially toward the end of the season if they’ve clinched early). But, here’s why he won’t take a week or two off like last year… The Cavs were… Read more »
I agree with you EG re: number of games. I think he’ll play as many games as possible. But I think if he’s playing 35mpg, that would be too much if he wants to play 75 games. Steph Curry played 32mpg and he’s younger and at a position where they typically play more minutes than a front court player. If LBJ wants to play 75-80 games, which I think is totally possible, I think he won’t be playing much more than 30mpg. My expectation is similar to yours, in that LBJ will play close to a full season in order… Read more »
Steph was able to play 32 mpg because GSW had an extremely deep team and a system offense that allowed for multiple guys to be scoring options. There’s zero chance that LBJ plays only 30mpg…
Think about it this way… at 30mpg, he would be playing seven and a half minutes per quarter. Last year, he averaged 36.1 mpg (his lowest by far of any season of his career), which is just over nine minutes per quarter.
If he plays 34-35mpg, it’s about 8 and a half minutes per quarter, which is where I’d expect him to be…
I agree… the Warriors are a deep team with a good offense. I would argue that the Cavs have a deep team as well, provided everyone’s healthy… and they have a prolific offense given what we know of their performance post-midseason trade. I venture to guess that many here would’ve expected the Cavs to beat GSW had the Cavs been healthy, in part because of the Cavs’ depth and firepower that can match with GSW. Given these similar circumstances, I think it’s not unreasonable to demand and expect Blatt to limit LBJ’s minutes to as close to 30mpg as possible.… Read more »
You stated the reason why it won’t happen yourself… because LeBron will demand it. He wants to be on the court. I really feel like there’s some overreaction in general to LeBron’s age and ability. Clearly he wasn’t right last year (either dinged up or not in proper basketball shape due to his crazy summer diet which he probably did for the movie), so he took the two weeks off. I just don’t see him buying into playing just 30mpg, especially if he believes the team needs him out there. Look, Blatt’s done a good job so far in limiting… Read more »
omg, I hope our bench is more productive this season. Whether it’s a full night off, or just 13 minutes off, it’s still the same problem: the team has to remain competitive during some Bron-less stretches.
EG, usually you are on top of things, but you are dead wrong here. Every human is like a car, and you have to take it easy when they get old.
Disagree Raoul. Humans are not like cars. LeBron is not “old.” LeBron is also unlike normal human beings anyway…
How’s Babe Ruth been playing lately?
When he was 32, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, had 167 RBI and hit .357… and played almost every game… What’s your point?
Mine is that LeBron is 30 and is not yet an old man. Sure, people wear down over time, but an athlete in LeBron’s shape at age 30 does not qualify as a guy who needs lots of games off…
Ideally LeBron could play another 10 years for the Cavs. There is no possible way he will be as good as he could if you play him all the time to achieve a great regular season record, which means nothing. Get a grip on reality.
I seriously doubt he wants to play 10 more years. Besides, if he plays like he’s capable for the next 5-6 years, the Cavs should have at least a couple of titles to show for it. And having the best record might not matter in the weak EC, but I’d sure as hell prefer home court next year against the Warriors, or Spurs or whomever… wouldn’t you?
And if you truly think that at 30 LeBron is an old man, maybe you’re the one who needs to get a grip…
It’s not like he looks like this in real life…
We are going to have to disagree on this one.
Why do you think LeBron will not want to play into his forties? He is very into history, and could wind up with most of the lifetime records. If he does not wear himself out now playing meaningless games, he will be a good player in ten years.
I guess we will. It’s not all that easy to define “meaningless games” during a regular season (outside of the last week or two if you’ve clinched). Sure, maybe a second night of a back-to-back against a lottery team might qualify, but what if that game costs you home court advantage in the Finals? These guys get paid to play. Maybe the season should be shorter, but if guys are healthy, they should play. Also, once Tim Duncan takes the floor next season, he will be the 22nd player in NBA history to play at age 40 or beyond (Ray… Read more »
LeBron would never be in a Kobe like situation. He would be in a late career Wilt or Karl like situation.
It’s probably less about him and more about his situation. And there’s no way you can’t say he wouldn’t be in a Kobe-like situation. LBJ has already said he’s never taking a pay cut again. If there was ever a star that would warrant the Kobe end-of-career contract, it would be LeBron…
I hope LeBron takes a couple weeks off. While less minutes/game is obviously a good thing, skipping a couple nasty road trips is is hugely better. Flying all night, sitting on runways while the plane gets a last minute whatever, etc., really add up. When the full schedule comes out, look for some long road trips, and hope LeBron stays home. He is 30, and from here on out, there is no point wasting his energy when it is not needed. You want to get as much of his best as you can for the next decade.