NBA News: Kyrie Irving could return soon
March 30, 2013While We’re Waiting… Reality sets in for Ohio State
March 31, 2013Akron Beacon Journal and Ohio.com beat writer Jason Lloyd wrote a very interesting piece on some internal criticisms of Cavaliers coach Byron Scott. The anonymous complaints really run the gamut; there’s the “run too hard of a practice session” complaint, the “team hasn’t played defense in three years” complaint, the “please use your time outs” complaints, the “why does Kyrie play only half of the fourth” complaint and finally, the rarely seen “give Tristan Thompson more push-shot opportunities” complaint.
The piece is all encompassing.
Most, if not all, of these seem pretty minor. I find it hard to believe that the fabled “Camp Scott” is really having an effect on their legs at this point in the season. And it’s telling that the veteran player quoted dismisses the “hard practices” stuff.
While I do feel that players like Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters have made strides under Scott, the concerns raised with regard to playing time and the use of time outs have been troubling. Also, it’s not good that after three seasons, the team still has no defensive identity.
That being said, I do think that Scott deserves a shot to coach a Cavalier team that both their full compliment of players and an organizational backing to make a playoff run. Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao keep getting hurt and his best players off the bench are Luke Walton a guy who was waived by the Wizards. That doesn’t explain some of the in-game decisions, but it sure can help explain the dismal record.
[Related: Another Cavalier blowout brings more ‘Fire Byron Scott” murmurs]
10 Comments
i also think Scott should coach one more year – but this is the NBA; there’s no “deserves” about it.
Until the organization tries to win, there’s no reason to expect the coach to…
Lloyd with his latest nonsense. Hey Jason, when’s your next piece begging LeBron to return?
While some criticisms are valid and deserved (and mostly pretty minor), we need to stop using the phrase “after three years.” His first year was the lost year after LeBron left at the last minute and it took all season to complete the firesale. The rebuild didn’t actually start until last year when they drafted Kyrie and Tristan.. This year, year two of the actual rebuild, they’re starting two rookies and two 2nd year players. Prior to the Memphis trade and the Livingston pickup, their bench had one of the worst +/- stats in the league even though the starting lineup (the players that are actually part of the rebuild) had one of the best. (before Varejao got hurt – he’s hurt, by the way) Even without Andy, once they acquired some modicum of bench depth they miraculously became a .500 team who you felt had a chance every night. Now that they’re playing without Andy, Kyrie, and Dion, and you’re seeing lots of Daniel Gibson and Chris Quinn suddenly people suddenly worried they’re losing because of the coach.
You can criticize Scott’s rotations, his use of time outs, or whatever other strategic decision, but you can’t say the results are overdue, or that we’re in year 3.
Probably not Gibson, he’s getting more playing time with Irving and Waiters hurt (likely season over for latter and we thought as well for the former). My vote is Casspi (only seems to get it in blowouts to help prevent injury to guys like Gee and Miles; guys who contribute positively to the team).
Be quiet Casspi you’ll be gone in a couple months!
He’s not the reason they’re losing, but he’s done a pretty bad job and this finally proves it.
Except we are in year three. Facts are still facts.
And as long as Varejao is still here, there was no firesale. You don’t hold on to the piece that can bring the most back if you’re having a firesale. Gilbert foolishly thought he could remain some semblance of competitiveness and watched it blow up in his face. It was a lost year because management screwed up.
And the third year was specifically in reference to the lack of defense on the roster. Sure, we can live with brand new guys not picking up all the defensive schemes yet. But that’s not what’s happening. There has been zero defensive improvement by just about everyone on the roster in the Scott era. And that includes guys who have been here, yes, three years.
So was year one a lost year, or is it fair to say it’s year three of the rebuild? I’m not arguing the space-time continuum has been altered. I’m saying 2010-2011 wasn’t a year in which any building took place. After losing Lebron James, Shaquile Oneil, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to free agency, they traded Sebastian Telfair, and Delonte West. Then during the season they traded Mo Williams and Sebastian Telfair, and at the end of the season they traded JJ Hickson. That’s 8 guys gone in 12 months and 10 days. If you don’t want to call it a firesale because they kept a 26 year old fan favorite who was on a long team-friendly contract, I guess that’s your choice. I must disagree that he was THE tradeable asset and would bring the most back since he was mostly coming off the bench that year and averaging 8 points per game and Mo Williams was a former all-star.
They didn’t even have a single draft pick that year. In fact, the only player they added that year who is still here is Alonzo Gee, and he was a mid-season addition who didn’t really see a ton of playing time until last year. Interestingly he’s one of the better defenders on the team, which goes for the other two guys who have been here for 3 years in Varejao and Gibson.
The actual building of a new team began in earnest with that first draft, and it was clearly a success, but there was more demolition to do on the project. They traded Ramon Sessions for a draft pick and parted ways with starters Antwan Jamison and Anthony Parker at the end of the season.
It wasn’t until June 23, 2011 (less than 2 years ago) that they added Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson and June 28, 2012 (less than 1 year ago) that they added Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller. The average age of those guys is 21.25 and two of them are still rookies. You say you’re ok with those guys struggling on defense because of their age, but those guys are playing the lion’s share of the minutes this year. It’s not going to make for a good overall defense.
And for the rest of the team? Let’s go through the names who have come and gone in the last three years.
Baron Dais, Semih Erden, Christian Eyenga, Joey Graham, Luke Harangody, Manny Harris, Ryan Hollins, Jamario Moon, Leon Powe, Samardo Samuels, Jawad Williams, Lester Hudson, DJ Kennedy, Ramon Sessions, Donald Sloan, Mychel Thompson, Ben Uzoh, Jon Leuer, and Jeremy Pargo.
It’s tough to build any chemistry and defensive identity with that much turnover. Even this year the gathering of picks continues, and some of the players that see the most minutes right now have only been on the team a few months.
Organization needs to get to the bottom of this. Finally, someone has said it. No freakin defense. Jesus, watch the college games and you clearly see them playing defense whereas I’ve never seen Cavs play remotely close to anything like that ever!! Scott you better get a better defensive coach and fast!! You should be fired if Cavs go another year with no improvement on defense.