Live Thread: Pistons @ Cavs

Good evening CtB!

The Cavs welcome Central Division opponent the Detroit Pistons to the shores of Lake Erie for a proverbial trap game for the good guys. The Cavs just came off of beating one of the hottest teams in the Association in the Los Angeles Clippers. Evan Mobley performed satisfactorily in his first game back, and it should be expected that he’ll drastically improve as the rust shakes off. Darius Garland is rumored to be back as well, and the Pistons are the perfect opponent to ease him back into the rotation as well. With an easy schedule ahead, this is the time where the Cavs have to make a run for playoff positioning now that we’re halfway through the season.

FROM THE LIVE THREADS:

Resident CtB shooting coach NOMAD poses an interesting question here, which guy should the Cavs dangle? The correct answer is both. But if it’s between the two, Isaac Okoro is the clear and obvious choice, especially if doing damage in this year’s playoffs is the goal. Okoro is strictly a defensive specialist with zero offensive game to speak of, and over the course of 7,000 NBA minutes played, his production has remained static over the course of his entire career.

On the flip side, Okoro’s age might trick some team into believing in his upside. But as long as the Cavs have guys such as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the opportunities for growth simply won’t be there for Ice. To his credit, Okoro’s been the ultimate team player, sacrificing his individual production for team success. That can’t be underestimated, given how hard it is to find players with that kind of mature mentality.

WHO ARE THE TRADE PIECES?

If the Cavs should make a move, who are the tradeable pieces? The quick and dirty answer is anyone outside of the core four. However, given the performances so far of Max Strus, Dean Wade, and Sam Merrill there’s no way their trade value would exceed their production. That would leave Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and the aforementioned Okoro. The problem with trading any of this trio is again the limited value they have out on the market. The Cavs will need NBA veterans to do any damage in the playoffs, and in spite of their subpar regular season production, Niang and LeVert have the playoff experience that will be necessary to elevate the younger players come playoff time. With Okoro, he’s an “innings eater” that saves regular season wear and tear on the star players. Part of the benefit of Okoro is his ability to be physical and stay healthy over the course of the marathon that is the NBA regular season. Sprinkle in the recent success of the Cavs, and it’s easy to argue why the Cavs ought to stay put unless there’s an offer they can’t refuse.

YOU ARE FAKE NEWS

Yours truly is reticent to respond to troll posts such as these, but since this poster hasn’t been banned yet allow me to set the record straight. As the chief Caris LeVert supporter of this blog, it’s precisely because of LeVert’s versatility that I prefer to keep him over say a one-way only player such as Okoro. This poster also clearly underestimates the obvious versatility of players such as Dean Wade, who does everything better on a basketball court than Niang, or a Sam Merrill who does many things better on a basketball court than Isaac Okoro. If any of these players lack versatility, it’s Niang and Okoro. Niang is an offense only player who cannot defend multiple positions like Wade does, does not score as efficiently as Wade does, and does not even playmake better than Wade does (Wade assist ratio 14.0, Niang’s 11.9, which is worst on the team this season).

The same story goes when comparing Merrill to a defense only player such as Okoro. Merrill scores more efficiently on significantly higher usage than Okoro. Merrill is a better defensive rebounder, better playmaker who takes care of the ball better, and has the most charges drawn this season on the team in spite of playing less than 75% of the games Okoro has. Now Okoro clearly is a more versatile perimeter defender, but I’d argue it doesn’t result in more team success given the Cavs’ defensive ratings with each player (Cavs’ drtg with Merrill 109.5, with Okoro 109.2). Merrill’s offensive versatility far outweighs what Okoro brings on the defensive end so far this season, and what’s the point in Tower City if Coach JB Bickerstaff won’t surround them with dead eye shooters with Steph Curry-like production from three?

Unfortunately for some, feelings get in the way of objective analysis, and worse, the attempt to slander the good folks at CtB sucks the fun out of banter. Such is life on the internet. Back to the day job and school for yours truly…

Tip off is scheduled for 7:00PM Eastern time and will be broadcasted live on Bally Sports Ohio, Go Cavs!