Links To The Present: The Bogusness of the Bogut injury

What was supposed to be the “deepest bench in Cleveland Cavaliers’ history,” according to Joe Vardon with Cleveland.com, became a little less complete following the unfortunate events of this past week.

David Griffin probably thought his job was finished after upgrading the roster with the additions of Kyle Korver, Derrick Williams, Deron Williams and the final piece in back up big man, Andrew Bogut. However, it only took Bogut 58 seconds as a Cav to put Griff back to work on the search for yet another replacement for the rotation to give the starters some rest down the stretch.

Bogut’s fractured tibia is straight bogus in a number of ways. It certainly must be a disappointment for Bogut himself, who chose the Cavs believing they provided the best chance for him to get a ring. It is also unfortunate for the team, because he surely would have been a great help in the stretch run to the playoffs.

However, I think it’s also a bogus notion to believe that Bogut’s absence either hurts their chances in getting there or their level of success once they do. Although, now that his time leaves the Cavs incomplete… here are some potential replacements they might have in mind.

The process of assimilating the existing new pieces of this updated roster has resulted in the Cavs struggling to balance winning with giving the starters rest during the beginning of March.

In an article by David Cassilo with Bleacher Report, he brings to light that the Cavs’ plans to cut minutes with their new roster have gone awry. The new guys have been putting points on the board, but it’s been a process for them to catch up and get in sync with their new team so the starters can actually get rest. As a result, the team has been paying for it with their 2-4 start so far this month.

However, in the same piece, a quote from Lue points out that the Cavs have had to incorporate new players in midseason before (Iman and J.R. in the ‘14-’15 season, and Channing last year), and they’ve come along just fine. He also believes they’ve already had some signs of success despite the record.

“For a few games we’ve been able to do that,” Lue said. “We’ve been able to ride our second unit out. We’ve been able to keep Tristan [Thompson] out. Keep Kyrie [Irving] out. It’s been good for us.”

Even though Bogut’s injury means the puzzle isn’t quite complete, LeBron made a great point that it can and should still come together with the time remaining, as long as they can expedite the process.

“We have to fast-track it a little bit more because of the time that we have,” LeBron James said. “Those guys have been playing high-level basketball for a long time. A lot of the systems are the same, it’s just the terminology. We have to get the terminology right for them.”

One familiar piece returned with J.R. Smith making his first appearance back on the court since December in Thursday’s loss to the Pistons. The rust was evident in his 19 minutes of play, as he went just 1-9 from the field (1-8 from three).

Coach Lue needed more on the defensive end from JR Smith last night, but he also knows there's going to be rust after being away from @cavs. pic.twitter.com/pqXnzknqtl

— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) March 10, 2017

It was a much improved outing last night in Orlando, however, as Swish went 4-8 (3-7 from deep) in getting his legs under him and his shot going.

With injuries and new additions wreaking havoc on the lineups and rotations for the Cavs, the team has still managed to hold the first place seed as others have stepped up. For example, Tristan Thompson is on his way to eclipsing LeBron’s team record of 77 blocks in a season with 70 blocks so far. And, while it’s obvious that the best player in the NBA has help from his teammates, this may still be his best season yet. This interview with Nick Wright from FoxSports provides his explanation on why he believes James is the 2017 MVP no matter what.

Here’s a breakdown of the on/off court numbers for the four candidates he mentions:

This photo says it all. The extra work LeBron has put in for the team on the court and off shows his ultimate dedication to the game. LeBron even apologized to his wife because of the additional time he puts in, as Jeff Zillgit from USA Today Sports explains.

With all of this dedication and effort from their leader, the bench needs to pick it up so LeBron and the other starters can actually rest and be ready when it really matters – playoff time, baby.

In other links..

• LeBron James’ Uninterrupted launches new show “Kneading Dough,” with athletes talking about their money.
• Is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2017 bench better than their 2007 NBA Finals starting five? (poll)
• Kevin Love goes through shooting and agility drills as he continues rehab after knee surgery. (video)
• LeBron James Jr’s latest highlight video is absurd. Watch here.