5 on 5 after Five

The Cavs: The Blog team has been foaming at the mouth to deliver these hot takes since the opening tip of the season. They showed some restraint and waited for five games to pass.

1. What game so far is most indicative of how the Cavs are going to play this season?

Ben Werth: I would absolutely love to say the Heat game. Watching flow offense that leads to LeBron post catches is one of my favorite things. In reality, I’m going with the Sixers game. The Cavs will do whatever they need to do in order to have a 15+ point lead in the late third quarter. It’s irrelevant when they lock the opponent up on D, as long as they get to that cushion zone heading to the fourth. Their focus at the start of games will be dependent on the opponent.

Cory Hughey: I’d like to say the Memphis game, but in retrospect, the Grizzlies may have a burr in their paw. It’s honestly gonna be a combination of all of the above depending on their effort. If they play not to cheat the game, or whatever LeBron’s catchphrase du jour is at the moment, they’ll blow out a lot of teams. If I had to pick one, I’d go with Miami. The offense will be a trickle down economy that actually works with LeBron, Love, Kyrie providing opportunities to the blue collar workers of the roster.

David Wood: I really hope that the Cavs are looking back at that Memphis game, and asking each other how they achieved such a blowout. They won by thirty because nobody held the rock, and the defense didn’t rest. They had 29 assists on 41 baskets, and that game looked easy. The past two games the Cavs have played cave man iso ball for the first 15 or so minutes, before going crazy on their pass button in the third and fourth quarters to get open shots and great post positioning. Eventually, they’ll settle into a mix of hero ball and beautiful passing to keep the games from having too many highs and lows. Having to come from behind gets tiring.

EvilGenius: Though the last two games have established a certain annoying pattern of spotting teams a quarter then fighting hard to slingshot back in the fourth, I’m going to go with the Heat game. Against Miami, LeBron had great success playing from the foul line down and dominating the post. KLove was extremely active on both ends, and spread the court like so much jam on toast. And, of course, the Space Stars were able to not only maintain, but attack and increase the lead twice over with their gritty defense and sharing of the rock. It was the most fun I’ve had watching this team in the early stages (outside of the return of the Kraken on Wednesday).

Tom Pestak: Who knows what the future holds. More than a prognosticating tool, these last two games have been history lessons. The come-from-behind wins over the 76ers and Knicks after very sluggish starts reminded me of the 2008-2009 Cavaliers. Those teams found ways to win with a tried and true Cavalier cocktail: ratchet up the D, get after the boards, sprinkle the outer rim with hero ball and RELEASE THE KRAKEN.

2. What Cavalier has stood out the most after five games?

Tom Pestak: In terms of defying expectations it has definitely been the backup backcourt boys: Mo Gotti and SuperDOVA. Kevin Love’s increased activity and aggression have been the most important development, but I never expected Mo to look this good offensively. (Despite repeatedly gushing about the signing). Quite honestly (but I’d like everyone else’s opinion too) I can not tell the difference between 2k9 Mo and 2k16 Mo. He looks as quick as he did when he earned an all-star nod, and he’s still one of the best mid-range jump shooters in the league. As for Delly – the kid just continues to blow me away. His 3-point trigger is quicker and his half-court offense has evolved – he’s closer to Veteran Andre Miller than Veteran Eric Snow. Those lobs to TT and LeBron are some of the most exciting plays in the NBA, and his defense and court awareness continue to improve. As important as K Love’s second wind, Mo Williams’ backup playmaking, and Kyrie Irving’s healthy return are to this team – Delly’s defense on the league’s top point guards may be just as important in a playoff series. Steph Curry looks like he’s playing a different sport than the rest of the NBA and yet he didn’t win Finals MVP. Because Delly.

Ben Werth: Mathew “Of the Widow” is the obvious choice. Delly is rocking a 4.7 Assist to Turnover ratio in 25 minutes a game. A guy who is known for his intangibles is posting a PER over 17. I’m not a huge fan of PER because it generally underrates players like Mathew. And yet he is clocking it in. There aren’t very many guards in the league who can rebound and dish like Dellavedova. Tristan better buy Delly something nice with those fat checks.

Cory Hughey: For all of the venom we spewed over Tristan’s holdout, he handled it infinitely better than Varejao did in 2007. He never missed a meaningful game, and reached a compromise with the team, rather than sign an offer sheet elsewhere. Upon his return, TT was in shape, and he’s averaging career best rebounds per 36 minutes (14.9), and he’s shooting 60% from the field which leads the team. He’s much more fluid on the pick and roll. In a year, his salary won’t look that bad at all.

David Wood: I’m loving myself some Love right now. Last season I pretty much forgot that he could hang out down low. This year the Cavs have figured out how to get him post touches early in the shot clock, so he doesn’t have to hold his position for a long time. He’s speeding into his shooting motion after catching the ball for easy buckets. Last season he was getting the ball just four times a night down low. He’s up to 6.2 an outing this year. Love is also getting more offensive boards. He’s a max player again, and I can’t write anything suggesting otherwise.

Evil Genius: Love and LeBron have both been terrific, but until the Knicks game, I would have said old man Ram-a-Jam, Richard Jefferson, primarily because I didn’t expect him to be this spry and effective (I might have to start calling him “Cocoon”). Though he regressed to the mean somewhat on Wednesday, it may have also been due to his emergency promotion to the starting five. I expect he’ll have a better game against Philly before returning to anchor the Space Stars.

3. What Cavalier has been most disappointing?

EvilGenius: I’m going “all in” on my human voodoo doll, Chokin’ Joe Harris. Maybe I’m being unfair… but I don’t care. I acknowledge that this is only Joe’s second year in the league, however, it’s not like he’s still a teenager (he’s 24). After flashing some signs of usability last season, his game has regressed to a near non-existent state. He had an abysmal summer league and preseason, and despite a rash of injuries that have severely depleted the Cavs’ back court, he still can’t get off the pine. He’s been outworked and eclipsed by Much Danger Ninja, who (even though I love his energy and defense) is essentially a D-League journeyman. At least MDN is making an extreme effort to contribute and stick on this team. It will be a shame if he’s a casualty when Kyrie and Shump return, just because Joe has a guaranteed contract. Sure, you can accuse me of being irrationally impatient about a guy on the end of the bench, but we need only to look at last year’s Finals to see how important deep bench guys can become. I’m beyond tired of waiting around for the return of Smokin’ Joe’s confidence and jump shot.

Ben Werth: You have to have expectations in order to be disappointed. That eliminates Joe Harris immediately. Looking down the roster, I am honestly not disappointed in anyone. JR’s shot will come around. His only poor defensive effort came in the game he got injured. It seems now that that was at least partially responsible for his slow-footed play. Mozgov is working his way back into shape. Like Swish, Mozzy has made a positive impact on the defensive end. Timofey is a bit at a disadvantage sharing most of his minutes with Mo at the point. Mo doesn’t hit the roll man with the same kind of regularity as a Delly, Bron, or Kyrie. The Mozzy/Mo PnR will improve with time, but right now, Mo is just looking to get buckets. Ya know, other than the Kraken!

Cory Hughey: Mozgov for sure, but I’ll give him a pass because he did have knee surgery in the offseason. If anything, I’d probably rest him a bit more.

David Wood: I’m not trying to resurrect year old story lines, but the King is still coasting at times. He has a tendency to demand the ball in order to stare at the court for a few seconds and stop any off-ball movement, before dribbling into a long two or an ill advised three. LeBron is the best Cavalier by far, but I want him to be as Ben says, “boringly transcendent.” Establish early position. Cut for easy dunks. Get your offense without dribbling. LeBron should be sick of dribbling anyways after having to do every single offense related thing in the Finals. And, for the love of basketball, he needs to stop taking 3s. He’s 2-18 so far this year.

Tom Pestak: Mozgov has looked pretty ineffective thus far in the low post. But he’s coming off surgery so I’ll cut him some slack. J.R. Smith is in a huge shooting slump and LeBron’s jumper is completely broken. Other than that, not many disappointments.

4. What is this teams’ Kryptonite?

Ben Werth: Health. It will be the same answer until this team wins the championship or loses the Finals with its full compliment of players. There is no way around it. Love has looked great in his return from injury, while Mozgov continues to mend on the fly. Obviously, Kyrie and Shump need to get back on the floor. The guys need to be ready when the games really matter. The horse looks like it’s dead. Wait, is that a twitch? Beat it again.

Cory Hughey: Playing to the level of their competition. There might be three teams in the league that can match the Cavs talent level. Tristan laughed after the 76ers that the team didn’t start playing until 45 minutes after tip off. The same held true against the Knicks. Go out and impose your will. End the game by the third quarter. Rest your stars in the fourth. Rinse. Repeat.

David Wood: Talent. This team has an obscene amount of talent, and they can certainly win games using just that. The issue this season is going to be getting guys to maximize their talents within Coach Blatt’s offensive and defensive systems. If Blatt can get this team on the same page, they could win 60-plus games. If he can’t, the team will play hero ball, coast on defense, and try to make up deficits in the third quarter.

Tom Pestak: Health. But even if totally healthy – they could lose to some of the top teams in the West. The Warriors are the team to beat. I honestly think they will win 70 games this year.

EvilGenius: It’s a tie between injury and complacency. The injury part is obvious, and short of being cautious, there’s nothing the Cavs can really do about them other than hope that fortune shines upon them as they get to the postseason. They can, however, do something about complacency. The way the last two games have unfolded tells us all we need to know about how easy it is to underestimate opponents, who incidentally are all gunning for the reigning EC Champs and taking their best shots. The Cavs won’t go 81-1, but they also don’t need to and can still lock up the top seed. There will inevitably be a couple of bad losses to lottery teams (everyone has them), but it’s important for the Cavs to find ways to stay interested through the regular season.

5. What do you make of the current Cavs backcourt and the future Cavs backcourt?

EvilGenius: I’ve been impressed with the play of both Mo and Delly thus far. Both have done their share of keeping the Cavs in games (Mo with his scoring and Delly with his passing), and have also done an admirable job of defending opposing guards (outside of DRose in the opener, no PG has torched them). JR and RJ have also filled in well (although JR was struggling with his shot before his injury), and I love the energy and defense that Much Danger Ninja brings in limited minutes. Still, I’m anxious for the return of Kyrie and Shump, mostly because I love what they bring to this team, but also because of the insane depth it will afford the Cavs. Come January, we should all witness the power of a fully operational Death Star…

Ben Werth: Mo must take a few more PnR possessions to the cup. He has a great pull-up game, but if he continues to drive so infrequently, he’ll continue to bail the defense out. I don’t even care if he drives for his own shot as long as it is pulling the help defender and opening up offensive rebounding opportunities. Two or three more drives a game would make a huge difference. Delly has done such a good job of that, he is making Mo look bad. I was initially in favor of starting Delly over Mo, but now I see Blatt’s reasoning. Mathew will have the same role all year. When Kyrie gets back, Mo will see his minutes cut drastically. I reserve judgement on the Shump/JR debate until I can see what Shumpert’s jumper looks like post injury. Assuming Iman can get back to knocking down the three ball, he should be the starter. JR can slide down to the three to balance his minutes unless RJ is just killin’ it.

Cory Hughey: Delly and Mo have been terrific thus far. Mo has rekindled his chemistry with LeBron and Andy, and already developed some with Love and others. Delly has been phenomenal. He currently paces the team in assists, and he’s perfected his flob (floater/lob). Cunningham has struggled, and I’ve got my own personal vendetta against him for probably costing me $5,000 in daily fantasy against the 76ers. J.R. has played as selfless as you can expect out of him, but he just hasn’t found his shot. Once Kyrie and Shump return they will have the deepest backcourt in the league.

Tom Pestak: I like the depth and the complimentary skillsets. Delly and Mo are very different point guards, and, yet both can set up an offense. J.R. and Shump are basically opposite shooting guards. And then you have Kyrie Irving – an offense unto himself. I think there will be a feeling out period for the team and the coaching staff. It won’t be obvious what the rotation should be or who fits best with whom. I will say this, for a team with so much depth in the frontcourt, you can play some insane small-ball with this team. Shump and Delly in particular rebound well for their positions. Everyone is going to get burn – we shouldn’t have any more Delly dehydration games.

David Wood: The current backcourt is playing well. Delly brings the defense and facilitates, while Mo puts points on the board. When Kyrie and Shump return, I’m hoping that Blatt starts Mo and Kyrie. J.R. Smith can take spot minutes at the two and three. If he’s on, he stays in. If he’s off, he can ride the pine. Shumpert and Delly can terrify opposing point guards with the bench unit. Delly’s added facilitating abilities will also help Shump get open looks. The backcourt, as well as the rest of the team, is stacked and no one should be playing when tired this season.