Second Quarter Progress Reports

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently 32-14, sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and have three All-Stars this season. However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine for LeBron James and company right now. The Cavs come into tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks losers of six of their last ten games during a rough two-week stretch that included LeBron James and management arguing through the media. What’s going one with this team? Cavs: The Blog looks at each players as well as head coach Tyronn Lue and general manager David Griffin in our mid-season progress reports.

LeBron James

James is in the process of turning in another monster season. He’s averaging the second-most assists per game of his career, and his outside shot has returned (although he has regressed lately). He’s still an elite rebounder for his position, and finishes at the rim as well as anyone. One thing to watch, James is averaging over five turnovers a game in January while playing heavier minutes than one would want for a player in his 14th season. Grade: T. He’s still the Top player in the NBA. Now he needs to cut down on the Turnovers a bit. As he would tell you, another playmaker would help with that.

Kyrie Irving

There’s been a lot of arguing about Irving’s value lately, and it’s really all semantics. Is he quite as good as Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, or Stephen Curry? No. Is he the Eastern Conference equivalent of Damian Lillard? Yes, and he’s younger, which means he can still improve. That’s a great player to have as your second banana. Irving’s been great this year, although there is definitely room for improvement on the defensive end. Grade: O. Irving is One of the great Offensive players in the league, but he Often Only plays at One end of the floor. Until he becomes more consistent defensively, he won’t be considered a truly elite player. Still, he’s pretty Outstanding as he is.

Kevin Love

Love has dealt with some injury issues and a bout of food poisoning earlier in the month, and it has affected both his play and the team’s performance recently. There’s no doubt that he will eventually return to form, but back issues can take a while to clear up. Just don’t take him for granted. Before leaving yesterday’s game early while scoring just one point, Love was one of five players in the NBA—and the only player in the Eastern Conference—averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Grade: A. Love will return to the All-Star game for the first time in three years. He’s an Amazingly skilled big man and Arguably the most consistent player on the roster outside of James (he’s also a much better player than Carmelo Anthony at this point).

Tristan Thompson

Thompson continues to do the things that make him such a valuable part of the Cavaliers. His nose for the ball and ability to guard both big men and perimeter players makes him one of the most unique big men in the league. The one major concern with Thompson is his free throw shooting. Never great from the line, Thompson has still been good enough in previous seasons to prevent Hack-A-Tristan from being an effective strategy. That’s not the case this season, as he is shooting below 50% from the charity stripe for the first time in his career. Grade: T. Thompson is as Tough as they come. His Terrific work ethic and Tenacious effort every game make him indispensable to the Cavaliers. Now fix that free Throw shooting.

J.R. Smith

After signing the biggest contract of his career, it’s been a lost season for Smith. He started off slowly after missing training camp, and just as he was finding his form, fractured his right thumb and was ruled out for the next three months. The Cavaliers have obviously missed Smith’s shooting and defense, as well as the ball handling he can provide in a pinch. On a more serious note, Smith’s daughter was born five months premature, a scary situation for any parent and child. We at Cavs: The Blog wish Smith nothing but the best. Grade: C. This has been an incredibly Challenging year for Smith, both on and off the court. One can only feel Compassion for the man and his family.

Iman Shumpert

On the surface, Shumpert has more than bounced back this season after a disappointing 2015-2016 campaign. He’s shooting a career high on both two and three-point shot attempts, and his been particularly effective since joining the starting lineup. On the other hand, the Cavaliers’ starting lineup has been more effective with either Smith or DeAndre Liggins at shooting guard. Some of this is likely just noise, but it does bear watching. The team also misses his ability to handle the ball in a pinch for the bench unit. Grade: S. Shumpert is full of Surprises. His Shooting has been above expectations this season, but he’s also the one “core” Cavalier who one could See being traded to another team.

Kyle Korver

One could almost feel some sympathy for Korver right now. While he has joined the defending NBA Champions, he and his family were uprooted from a place they loved, and his new team has struggled since he joined them. Korver isn’t the player he was even two years ago, but he’s still an elite shooter who absolutely has to be guarded at all times. Tyronn Lue seems hesitant to start Korver due to the defensive issues it may cause, but Korver is smart and competitive on that end, and pairing him with the Big Three may be the best thing for the Cavaliers offensively. Grade: G. One of the Greatest outside shooters in NBA history is a terrific addition for the Cavaliers, but it may be a Gradual adjustment for both Korver and the rest of the team, as they learn how to fit together.

Richard Jefferson

Jefferson has shown that he can still finish around the rim and his defense is usually adequate, but he is struggling tremendously from three this season, shooting under 30% after three straight seasons above 38%. That’s the difference between a good three-point shooter and a bad one who has no business taking that shot. It’s definitely in his head as he often comments about it during his “Was It Something I Said?” post-game segments with Fred McLeod. His struggles have increased with the recent changes to the Cavaliers’ rotation, and he likely misses Matthew Dellavedova as much as anyone on the team. Grade: S. Jefferson has Shown at times that he can Still contribute to this team, but his outside Shot is broken, and one has to hope that his days as an effective player aren’t Suddenly ending.

Channing Frye

After leading the league in three-point percentage early in the season, Frye has cooled off a bit. He’s still shooting 38% from deep in January, and has increased his presence on the glass as well. Like several of the bench players, the Cavaliers’ drop in ball movement and assists have had a negative effect on his offensive game, but the main area of concern with Frye is on the defensive end, where he has struggled lately. He’s also spent more time in the post, which is surprising since that has never been a large part of his game. Grade: D. Frye’s shooting is as Dependable as anyone’s, but he has to show a bit more on the Defensive end.

DeAndre Liggins

Pressed into the starting lineup after Smith was lost to injury, Liggins brought some sorely needed defensive intensity to the rotation and showed that he has the ability to make life difficult for elite point guards such as Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. His stint as a starter ended as the rest of the league began to leave him alone on offense. Liggins can’t really finish inside, and has a slow release to his outside shot that gives teams plenty of time to recover to him. Still, he has shown that he can help the team in a more limited role. Grade: O. Liggins has been Outstanding on defense for the Cavaliers. Now he has to find a way to be a factor on Offense.

James Jones

Is it a coincidence that the best game the Cavs have played in weeks came when Jones got real minutes? For all the talk about what he can’t do, Jones remains a knock down shooter who makes up for his physical shortcomings by being where he’s supposed to be on the defensive end. He remains one of the better minimum contracts in the league, and there’s a reason he commands such respect in the locker room. Grade: P. Jones is a Professional whose always Prepared and is one of the most Positive influences on this team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPZmSZFqcI

Kay Felder

Felder has shown some promise as a ball handler and when attacking the rim in transition, but at the risk of enraging Dan Gilbert, he isn’t ready to help yet. His shot doesn’t extend beyond mid-range, and he has trouble finishing in traffic. That’s to say nothing of the defensive end, where his lack of size and experience combine to make him ineffective at this point. Grade: P. Felder is still a Project, but there have been intriguing glimpses of his Potential.

Jordan McRae

It says something about McRae that he can’t get on the floor for the Cavaliers right now, considering the team is desperate for another ball handler. After a decent December in terms of shooting percentages, McRae’s shot has disappeared again. He only sees the court in garbage time unless the team is dealing with multiple injuries. Grade: W. What does McRae bring to the team? Will he be a Cavalier for the rest of the season? 

Chris Andersen

Andersen’s season ended when he tore his ACL in practice on December 16. While he wasn’t a regular part of the rotation, the loss of Andersen has left the Cavaliers with just three big men, and Love has missed some games while battling injuries lately. Andersen is still on the roster, but may not be for long, considering the Cavaliers’ need for bench players who can contribute. Grade: D. Andersen’s career is probably Done. It’s a shame that one of the better undrafted players in league history would go out this way. 

Tyronn Lue

Lue is arguably going through his most challenging period since taking over as head coach one year ago. The team is battling injuries, poor effort, and the adjustments that come with changing the rotation. LeBron James is playing too many minutes for a player in his 14th season, and the chemistry as a whole seems a bit off. Lue has proven that he can win at the highest level with this team, now he needs to get them back onto the same page. Grade: M. Lue Manages his team’s focus and egos as well as anyone could hope for, and has Met expectations at every turn. Now he has to do a better job of Managing LeBron’s minutes.

David Griffin

Griffin continues to pull impact players out of thin air, trading for Kyle Korver, and giving the Cavaliers a shooter to make up for the loss of Smith. Griffin also does a great job of creating trade exceptions for a team with very little financial flexibility, and his ability to include the contract of Mo Williams in the Korver trade was nothing short of genius. While one could make the criticism that Griffin has loaded up on offense and neglected adding effective defensive players, he has already proven that he knows how to create a championship team. Despite his recent comments in to the media, it’s difficult to see Griffin not making some more moves to shore up the Cavalier’s bench. Grade: N. You Never know what amazing move Griffin will pull off next, but when you have LeBron James on your team, a general manager’s work is Never done.

There you have it, the mid-season progress reports for your Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re certainly struggling right now, but this team has the talent to play with, and beat, any team in the league. Whatever happens next, we know the next few months won’t be boring, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.