Links to the Present: December 14, 2011
2011-12-14
“With a team that is even younger than the one he had under his watch last season, Scott is easing his way into the season.Not only has Camp Scott – the notorious vomit-inducing set of conditioning drills set to get his team in top-tier shape – been subdued this time around due to the extended offseason and shortened training camp, but Scott’s “Princeton” offense has yet to see the light of day and there may be some improvising during certain defensive sets.” [Scott Sargent]
“Scott said Tuesday he plans to run less-complex offensive sets in hopes of avoiding the adjustment period his team experienced last season. An abbreviated training camp also is working against him.” [Tom Reed]
“Kyrie Irving is already popping eyes at Cavaliers practice sessions. And you would expect nothing less of the NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick.’There are gonna be some oohs and aahs at (Quicken Loans Arena) this season,’ Cavs forward Samardo Samuels predicted of Irving. Samuels said it while wearing a large smile, adding he has been most impressed with how the rookie point guard out of Duke ‘gets to where he wants to go every time’ and almost always finds the open man with quick, crisp passes.” [Sam Amico]
“Ramon Sessions spent the extended offseason wondering where he will fit in with the Cavs and recovering from hernia surgery. They used the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft on Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, and now he’s quickly becoming the face of the franchise. That has created a logjam of sorts at point guard. Two-time All-Star Baron Davis is still on the roster, but for how long? He left to have his ailing back looked at, and he might not come back.” [Bob Finnan]
“Perhaps it was a sign of things to come, but Cavaliers guard Baron Davis’ back tightened up in practice Friday, and he was sent to the sideline. Whether the Cavs keep him there is anyone’s guess. ‘Baron didn’t go,’ Cavs coach Byron Scott said. ‘We went through our easy run, the drill I start off with to see where you are, and he had some tightness in his back. I shut him down for the rest of the day.'” [The Sports Xchange]
According to David Aldridge, the Cavs are still undecided on whether or not they will use their amnesty on the ailing Davis. My opinion on this issue is in line with what’s already been expressed by others on this blog: it’s not like the Cavs need the cap space that would be created by amnestying Davis; there’s no point in paying him to play for the Heat or Lakers when he could be a valuable contributor for the Cavaliers. My only worry is that Davis has a habit of checking out and becoming a nuisance when he plays for a team that’s not very good (and I’m concerned this back problem he’s experiencing is either an act of defiance or a sign that he’s not in shape). I think if he really wants to force his way out through becoming a locker room cancer who’s twenty pounds overweight, we should let him go. But if he wants to shoulder the team’s scoring load and help Irving’s development, he should stay on the payroll. I’ve always really liked BD; I’m hoping he’ll conduct himself like a professional this season.
I think hearing good reports on Kyrie is a real positive. If players/coaches were not truly impressed with him, they would say things like the ‘jury is still out’ or ‘we’ll have to wait and see, camp just started’. Instead you hear players say that ‘there will be a lot of oohs and ahhs’ or ‘he can be a superstar’. I’ve read some of the comments on Williams and Kanter and thieri taammates and coaches don’t seem nearly as positive. So I’m really hoping we hit a homerun and drafted a real franchise player. As far as Davis goes. He’s… Read more »
“adding he has been most impressed with how the rookie point guard out of Duke ‘gets to where he wants to go every time’ and almost always finds the open man with quick, crisp passes.”
…probably pretty easy to do when you’re up against the Cavs’ defense in practice.
Either way, pretty encouraging/exciting to hear.
GO CAVALIERS!