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May 20, 2014Well tell me if you have heard this before: The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping for a good draw in NBA Draft Lottery. After another lackluster season, the Cavaliers have another chance at getting the number one pick in the June draft. They hold the ninth best odds of getting the top pick with a 1.7% chance. While getting the first pick this year is not quite as important as years past, the Cavs are wishing on their lucky star for a the ping-pong balls to bounce their way once again.
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The 2014 NBA Draft is full of exciting talent who could change the course of a NBA organization. It will have a lot of players who can make an instant impact for a team next year. Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid lead the talented 2014 group. After these first top three players, there is a good amount of players who could end up being all-star level players. Many experts believe it is one of the better drafts overall in recent years. It is a big improvement over the past couple drafts where only a few players have made an impact for their respective teams. So the Cavaliers will not be in a bad spot if they do not get into one of the top three spots.
The Cavaliers are most likely not going to get in the top three picks this year. This makes the draft a different situation for them. They could possibly use this draft pick as an asset in a trade for a big time player like Kevin Love. The trade might be the best route for the team if they stay in the lower lottery. There will be opportunities for the Cavaliers to finally use their many assets to get the second piece to go along with Kyrie Irving. The team must get more production out of this year’s pick either in the player they draft or in the trade. The team is in not in the position to get a player who will need time to grow before getting any production.
Even with this being a good draft class, it just doesn’t have the excitement of previous years for Cavs fans because of the consistent losing even with all of these top picks. Fans are tired of hoping for a good draw because they have seen the prior ones not pay off for the Cavaliers in the win column. It seems like it’s a constant cycle of excitement around the draft and then same old losing with no real improvement. The Cavaliers must change this cycle and the lottery can be the start of the big change.
The Cavaliers organization has at least begun the change with how they are going to the NBA Lottery. They are not making it a party with a big entourage ready to burst with excitement if they win the draw; they are just sending general manager David Griffin and vice chairman Jeff Cohen, leaving Machine Gun Kelly and the bow ties back in Cleveland. The organization knows that there is no celebration in being a part of the lottery and knowing that they have had another losing season. They are treating the lottery as business and another part of the offseason process. They cannot put all of the energy and hope in this lottery because they have other areas that can help address their team. The extension of Kyrie Irving, the trade market, and free agency are the areas that can be better options for the Cavaliers in trying to win now.
The NBA lottery is tonight and the hope for getting the top pick is again on the minds of the Cavaliers. The fans will be watching intently to see if somehow the Cavs get the right draw again and get the number one pick in the draft. But this is not like the previous years where the team was still in the developing and rebuilding for the future phase. The Cavs are in the win-now mode and they must focus on getting players who can make an instant impact. The team must make winning on the court more important then winning in offseason. This offseason is one of the biggest for the Cavaliers in recent memory. They must get their roster fixed and ready to compete for the playoffs. So let’s all hope for a good draw and, more importantly, for a winning team.
57 Comments
I still think they should trade Kyrie. I’m sure most people think I’m crazy (and I probably am, for reasons unconnected to the NBA), but I don’t think this team is demonstrably better with Kyrie, he’s not the most durable guy in the world, and I don’t think there’s any chance he’s here long term.
Seems like a good guy, certainly has a sick handle and can put the ball in the bucket, but to me, seems like it might be addition by subtraction.
There isn’t much excitement for the lottery, because they only have a slim, outside shot at moving up, with a better chance of moving down. And I don’t see them getting much of an impact player at 9 or later. Unless we get another miracle top 3 pick or longshot trade for Love, I don’t see this generating much excitement, period.
Trade all of it for Love. Waiters, thompson and this draft pick. Irving/Love combo gets you a 4 seed in the East.
God, if they could trade some combo of Andy, Thompson, Waiters & draft picks for Love, they’d have more than enough $ to sign a max free agent. I’m just not sure Minny does that deal…
I’d be tempted.
$hamrok disagrees.
….as long as David hires a good coach…
How many underpants, errrr, second round picks do we have this year?
I think it’s just one. Yellowish in the front, and a little brownish in the back. 😉
Only 1, but it’s a doozy
http://www.dvdactive.com/images/reviews/screenshot/2002/7/shallowhal4.jpg
that is a whole lot of assets for 1 year of Love. and, also probably the best Minny could do.
I think I would still do it though.
He’s here for a minimum of 4 more years IMO. RFA makes it tough for players to leave.
Wrong round. Those were Bennett’s.
this team is demonstrably better with Kyrie, he’s not the most durable guy in the world, and I don’t think there’s any chance he’s here http://bit.ly/1giOsmK
if he signs the extension, then he cant leave for at least 4 years, but that doesn’t mean we can’t trade him. I know it’s illogical, and it probably also violates the whole “dont trade a dollar for 4 quarters” rule, but if you could trade him straight up for a top 3 pick and land Wiggins, Parker or Embiid?
Again, I’m probably nuts, t conventional wisdom hasn’t done much for Cavs fans over the years other than cause heartburn, so I’d be willing to try something new. Worst case scenario is we lose out on a couple years of sick crossovers and .500 records.
I agree regarding the lack of excitement. I’m almost happier with a lower pick so we don’t end up with this year’s Tristan Thompson. It’s hard to overthink the 8th or 11th spot.
Uhm, soooooooooo……………………………………………………………
who else is playing on the team then?
Yeah, I would too. Seems like a move alla Houston fleecing away Harden. Just add a 3rd big name FA and everyone resigns.
A deal like that leaves them roughly $30M for free agency. You could sign a max player ($20Mish) and then some. That’s a conference title contender in the East.
If you can get Love, I’ll get off the trade-Irving bandwagon. Irving will be much better cast as the second best player on a good team, and finding a big man who can play p-n-r with him for a long time would be quite enjoyable.
But I don’t think that gets it done. The Warriors can offer a lot more than the Cavs can, and seem to be going quite hard after Love.
Last year’s off season was also “the most important in Cavs history (remember we “needed to get good so Lebron would come back”) and we ended up with Anthony Bennet! Yee ha!
Yeah, so while I get that you cleared cap space and now have Love and Irving I also get that this is Cleveland and not NY, LA, MIA where we can just go Free Agent shopping.
It’s a nice theory in all but we live in the real world where Griffin must then go and refill those holes FA’s willing to risk years on their career playing in Cleveland with a suspect Kyrie Irving and a possible 1 year rental of Love.
Griffin has a tough job in front of him for sure. He knows he can’t sit on this roster as it’s currently constructed but he also knows what he’s dealing with.
So your saying there’s a chance?
There is always a chance at never. 😉
I would rather have Kyrie than Wiggins, Parker, or Embiid. A bird in the hand, and whatnot.
Right now there is only one player on the team who is detrimental to their success and that is Irving. There is not another player on that team whose loss would fluctuate the win total for the cavs in a very dramatic fashion other than Andy, who is still on the roster. It’s time to take a real look at the value of the components we do have and realize this is not a roster you can “grow old” with. It needs shaken up.
Irving is not suspect anywhere but by the cavs fans. Which, true to cleveland sports fans nature, we punish our athletes and try to push the best ones out the door. Neat how everyone seemingly forgets how much Lebron bashing was going on before he left town. Just like last year with Richardson, no one talks about how the rule change completely affected his style of play and Turner single handedly destroyed our running game, instead everyone blasted how bad T-rich was.
In other words, if the money is there, the athletes will come. No one is going to take a discount, but for the most part, the big teams have to pay as well. Just normally, teams like the lakers are willing to throw the dollars at the big names.
is safer than one overhead? Haha
I respect your opinion, as I find your articles and overall embrace of the use of analytics as an evaluation tool for basketball both entertaining and informative. I am only a casual NBA fan, and I am certain die-hard fans (such as yourself) know a whole lot more about the game and league than I do. Call it a hunch, or perhaps I have a bias against shoot first point guards, but I guess I’m on team Dion (that is, if any sorts of demarcation lines were to ever be established)
The Downside to those 3 guys:
Embiid – big men with injuries is always scary. big men with back injuries is petrifying.
Wiggins – might be most athletic player since LeBron or Dwight entered draft. but, why so passive in most games? a long-term issue or is he just finding himself as a player?
Parker – plays the right way and tries on defense, but the fact he tries and is still that bad is sort of scary. nowhere near the athleticism as Wiggins.
people said the exact same thing about LeBron that you say about Wiggins: why so passive? remember the pass to set up the corner-3 for Donyell Marshall? LeBron was excoriated for that, even though we all know it was the right play. Something tells me LeBron will be able to find himself someday….
i think history has shown that, even when the money is there – in fact, even when MORE money is there – they still don’t come to Cleveland.
are you kidding me?????? cant believe they made the top 3
http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/yes_data.gif
OWNED!!!
Embiid. Finally get that big man you need.
Unreal some of this lotto luck needs to wipe off on the rest of the organization now.
Embiid, Parker or Wiggins it’s going to be interesting but at least they get first choice…if they keep the pick.
Love? I doubt it, but….
Hey ya never know just depends on who they like at #1.
You know Minnesota would listen now though it just depends on what Griffin has in mind. This certainly upgraded his possibilities.
Don’t worry, they’ll take Randle.
Sorry but you are wrong.
Irving is suspect in the entire league and no, free agents are not willing to come to Cleveland no matter what the dollars look like.
Not just based on the city itself but the teams constant upheaval including roster, coach and GM changes.
Also keep in mind I say that Irving is suspect; not that he’s a busted number pick but his lack of defensive effort and prone to injury is well documented throughout.
We’ve been through that discussion time and time again here
Even when LeBron was at his peak in Cleveland Ferry was in constant trade mode because of the lack of free agent interest in the team
Indeed.
no doubt. in retrospect (and when it was happening) it was such a BS move by LeBron. He could have just said, “I’ll give you 3 more years. period. Let’s load up next year,” instead of overpaying for Larry Hughes.
I think the Cavs were every bit as good without Irving as they were with him. Check the numbers. I’m too lazy right now to pull them up.
Now that the #1 is in play, i wonder……
any chance you have a definitive statistical stance on the Cavs with/without Irving, as it relates to W/L and any other pertinent stats?
I actually think Randle may have the best pro career out of all those guys. he’s a BIT (beast in training).
i hope the Cavs trade down to 9, then back up to 8 for a guy who hits the corner 3. Then, take the extra pick and draft Manziel.