Tyronn Lue accepts offer to be Cavs associate head coach
June 23, 2014LeBron James to opt out of deal with Miami Heat
June 24, 2014Happy Tuesday, WFNY!!!
I spent much of Monday pretty down. It took me a long time to recover from the most gut-wrenching draw I have ever felt. Going in to the USMNT’s match-up with Portugal, I was just keeping my fingers crossed for a draw. But I wouldn’t have been hoping for that if you would have told me the US would be up 2-1 in the 95th minute. No, I would have told you to take your draw and shove it. That one hurt deep, but it was a meaningful hurt. For a World Cup loss to hurt this much, it means that the US was actually playing for something. That the team actually matters and is a legit player in this tournament. Today is a new day, and I’m feeling so damn proud and excited for the USMNT. I cannot wait for Thursday and to see what our future in the World Cup looks like.
I know you guys didn’t come to WFNY originally for soccer, though, so I promise I shall try my absolute best to not go overboard in talking about the World Cup today. But I do have some things to say about the US team, the sport in general, and outlook of the game in the United States. So I’ll get to that in a minute, but first let’s take care of some house cleaning. A lot has happened with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the week since my last WWW, so lets talk about the Cavs!
Fate is not an eagle, it creeps like a Blatt
If nothing else, all the easy puns will be fun. The Cavaliers hired David Blatt on Friday and will be introducing him to the fans and media at a Wednesday press conference. As I said last week, Blatt was the coach I wanted. Recycled coaches like Vinny Del Negro and Alvin Gentry just didn’t excite me. I was somewhat intrigued by Tyronn Lue for no other reason than he would at least be something new and really smart basketball people seemed to like him. But to me, Blatt was the combination of experience and winning pedigree that I cherished. Now, granted, that experience and winning happened overseas and not in the NBA, but I refuse to believe that someone who has won everywhere he’s ever coached is incapable of adapting and adjusting to the NBA.
This was something that was years in the making. Indeed, fate is not an eagle. It takes dedication, perseverance, and hard work. All of those qualities led Blatt to this moment in his life, where he finally gets a chance to showcase his coaching skills on the world’s biggest and greatest basketball stage, the NBA. And it might take time for him to fully adjust and to figure out which parts of his style work and which ones do not, but I sure hope Dan Gilbert gives him the time he needs to do so. Because when he gets it to click, I truly believe he is going to be a successful NBA coach, and I’m pretty happy that he’s going to try to figure it out in Cleveland.
I also think that hiring Lue as an associate head coach was another really nice move by the franchise. It’s obvious the Cavaliers think quite highly of Lue, and having him be there as a resource on today’s NBA for Blatt should help smooth the transition from European basketball to NBA basketball. To get your top choice as head coach and then to get your second choice to come in as an associate head coach is a pretty nice luxury.
So……what now???!?!?!?
Joel Embiid. You have got to be freaking kidding me. My dream scenario was to hire David Blatt and to draft Joel Embiid, and everything looked good last Tuesday. I felt like everything was lining up for the Cavaliers to get my favorite center prospect in many, many years. And then we find out that he has a fractured foot. [Insert profanity bleep here]
It’s funny because I still believe Embiid will end up being the best player in this draft. But to do that, he has to be able to stay on the court, and the risk is just too great for the Cavaliers to use the #1 overall pick on him. If the Cavaliers stay in the No. 1 spot they’ll choose from either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins. I’m probably going to change my mind a hundred more times before Thursday, but on this Tuesday morning, I’m a soft-lean for Wiggins. I saw limited amounts of college basketball this season, but I never saw Andrew Wiggins look better than Jabari Parker. To me, Parker looked like one of the best college basketball players all year. He had a level of consistency that Wiggins couldn’t touch.
So why am I leaning Wiggins? I don’t know. I don’t like the reports that Parker is overweight, I don’t like that he doesn’t play defense, I don’t like that he’s a bit of a SF/PF tweener. I am far from convinced that Wiggins will be a great NBA player. But I see the upside. I like that Wiggins feels like a more natural SF than Parker does (to me, anyway). I like that Wiggins will defend. I like Wiggins’ athleticism and the room he has to grow.
I don’t like Wiggins or Parker near as much as I like Embiid, but I have to let that go. Unless the Cavs trade out of the #1 spot, that is…
The Cavs almost certainly are not going to trade out of the #1 spot
This is the time of year when rumors run rampant and fans all freak out and assume the worst. Most of the information we’ve heard so far has come from Sam Amico1, and he notes that the Cavaliers have talked with the Jazz, Sixers, Timberwolves, and Magic in the last day alone.
But it was this tweet that got most of the attention:
Told Cavs indeed having talks w Jazz but deal being mentioned a little off. Favors, Burks, #5 and #23 in play for #1 and potentially Jack
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 24, 2014
There seems to be a sense that the Utah rumor is the one that has the most legs. On Twitter, Cavs fans began freaking out about the Cavs trading out of the top spot in the theoretical best draft in about five years.
NBA draft rumors definitely fall under the Candy Corn Principle. You know, the theory that every fall you try candy corn, somehow inexplicably forgetting just how awful it really is. The same thing happens with the NBA draft. Every year there are a million rumors and everybody panics and freaks out about them all, but then none of the rumored trades ever seem to actually happen. Oh, there are lots of trades during the draft. But they are almost never the trades that were rumored just days before.
This is simple. The Cavs will float all kinds of stuff out there. They are going to talk to as many teams as they can, and each time they’re going to try to get the other team to up their ante. If the Cavs get some kind of unreal, absolute home run of a trade offer that guarantees them more success in the future, sure, then maybe they would do it. But until that happens, this is all just posturing in preparation of Thursday’s big event. Unless something crazy happens, the Cavaliers will pick someone at #1.
Now, having said all that, the Utah offer is somewhat intriguing. If I was the Cavs, I would consider moving down to find myself in a position where it’s acceptable to draft Embiid. But you can’t risk the player you want not being there at No. 5. So I would draft Wiggins or Parker No. 1, then wait and see if the player I wanted was there at No. 5. If he is, then I tell Utah we can do the trade. Otherwise, you just hang on to the guy you picked and you move forward.
Regardless, I still think the chances of the Cavs trading out are awfully small. I fully expect the Cavs to keep their pick, whoever it ends up being.
Ok, so lets talk soccer for a second
The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, mainly because almost everywhere outside of the US and Canada, it is everyone else’s favorite sport. For so long the US have felt like outsiders in the World Cup, impostors who who show up to the concert wearing the shirt of the band who is playing that they went out and bought that day just to wear to that show. For the first time since I started paying closer attention to the sport in 2002, I feel like that’s starting to change.
The match against Portugal, while wholly deflating, was also an eye opener. Yes, Portugal is an overrated team and they obviously have some serious issues. I fully expect them to lose to Ghana on Thursday. But still, this is one Europe’s elite teams and the US didn’t just hang in there against them. For most of the match, the US took it to them. They looked like they belonged. They had real soccer credibility.
One of the best things about following soccer in America is that we are lucky enough to have the Men In Blazers who, if you’re not familiar with, are two Englishmen living and working in America who have one of the absolute best podcasts in the world. During the World Cup they’ve been doing video blogs of the events, and I just loved the post-Portugal episode:
That video is kind of long, but I encourage people to at least watch the first few minutes. In soccer, you never want to overreact to any single match. It’s not that kind of sport. Developing momentum takes a span of many, many matches over many months. But under the leadership of coach Jürgen Klinsmann, team USA really does feel like they are at last starting to develop an identity.
But more importantly, there are just so many positives to take out of the Portugal match. The US has never fought back like that when trailing in the World Cup before. They weren’t scared or intimidated by Portugal. They weren’t star struck by Ronaldo. The US didn’t just feel like they belonged, they believed that they were the better team and that they were going to win.
Every year when the World Cup comes around people mistake American nationalism for American interest in soccer. While World Cup success certainly helps maintain American interest in the sport, the more important part is what happens when the World Cup is over.
NBC Sports did an amazing job covering English Premier League soccer last season. If they continue to do what they’re doing, they will continue to grow organic interest in the sport. “An MLS”2 has more talent than ever before. I’d like to see the league raise its television profile a bit. But the biggest thing happening for the sport inside America is Klinsmann’s vision.
When Klinsmann was hired, he wasn’t hired because he had some strategic idea of how to win with the current players. No, he was hired because of his vision for what soccer could be in America. More importantly, he had ideas on how to capitalize on and achieve that vision. It starts with building brand identity and delivering a style of play at the top that is inspiring and fun to watch. He’s not all the way there, but over the last 18 months we’ve seen that vision come more and more into focus with this team. From there, it’s about building from the ground up with youth academies and spreading the philosophy grassroots-style at a young age. Call it the indoctrination of American soccer, if you will, but Klinsmann is not just a coach, he’s a visionary for where soccer is going in America.
It may not ever be on the level of the Big 3 sports in the US, and that’s fine. But soccer fans in America will be happy seeing some more elite athletes starting to not just play soccer, but play it in a style that fits into Jürgen’s plans. Klinsmann has taken a ton of heat from the press and even some fans in recent months. Not taking Landon Donovan was highly controversial. Saying that the US can’t win the World Cup this year ruffled some feathers. His comments about US athletes being rewarded for past success rather than what they bring in the present really made some people mad.
But for all the hand-wringing over his comments, Klinsmann has kept his team together and continued to get them to buy into his vision. Time and time again Klinsmann has seen his substitutes come into the game and make a huge impact on the outcome of the game. He is acutely tuned into his team and he absolutely knows what he is doing at every step on this journey.
The US may not advance out of the Group of Death. I don’t expect them to secure a point against Germany and like I said, I expect Ghana to beat Portugal. So the US’s fate is really up in the air as far as I can tell. And I don’t want to just be satisfied with a nice showing in the brutal group. No, I want the US to advance. I want them to win a game or two in the next round. But if Thursday should be their last match, I’m still pretty proud of this team and I’m excited about the future.
Album of the week
Finally, we wrap this up with this week’s selection for new album of the week. This week is a no-brainer for me. Mastodon’s new album “Once More ‘Round the Sun” is out and once again Mastodon shows why they are one of the absolute best bands on this planet today.
There just aren’t many metal bands that really excite me these days. And while Mastodon are certainly considered a metal band, they absolutely transcend metal with their versatility and musicality. Make no mistake, this is one of the most technically proficient bands you will find, but they balance it with a firm grip on excellent songwriting. From rhythm to melody, no stone is left unturned and no aspect is overlooked. This new album has been streaming on iTunes for the last week, and it’s once again another predictably great album. I can’t say enough great things about this band.
And that’s it for me this week. We’ve got the draft on Thursday, and I have a feeling we’ll be discussing it more on WFNY this week and for sure in next Tuesday’s WWW. Have a phenomenal week everyone!
48 Comments
I suppose someone has to do this…
#DavidBlott
/Greg Little’d
Also, a provocative piece by Nate Ulrich in the Beacon-Journal about whether Manziel’s partying has crossed a threshold: http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/nate-ulrich-it-s-time-for-browns-to-urge-johnny-manziel-to-fulfill-predraft-promises-about-slowing-down-off-the-field-1.498480. Mary Kay submitted in her mailbag that the Browns should subject him to chemical dependency counseling. So there you go.
This Manziel stuff has me feeling like I’ve woken up in some alternate reality. Chemical dependency counseling? Seriously? So that would mean that he is drinking like this every single day. Because you don’t get to turn dependency on and off.
Woah, woah, woah. I like candy corn. And, even better, the candy pumpkins. The only awful ones are those pseudo-chocolate versions. Don’t mess with my candy corn, man.
Did you see MKC?
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lldukdWzRh1qa1xnko1_500.gif
And, the Utah trade has legs because of Jabari Parker. He is Mormon. If you haven’t heard, there’s a fairly substantial population of Mormon’s in the Utah area. Jimmer is also a FA. If they somehow grab superstar Mormon Parker and sign shooter-McJimmer, then they will make more $$$ then they know what to do with, while fans are much more patient with the rebuild.
From the Cavs side, we could potentially end up with Favors, Burks, Embiid, and Kyle Anderson (in the Princeton offense!) or CleAnthony Early (guy I like too much in this draft!), while getting out from under Jack’s contract. That is a massive overpay for a guy who many think will be a slightly lesser version of Carmelo Anthony, but, again, that Mormon factor is at work here and is a big deal.
So, if we like Wiggins better (and I think we should), then it makes it really tough on whether or not to do the trade as we will not know if Philly is willing to throw away another season to roll the dice on a Embiid + Noel frontcourt.
If Philly nabs Embiid, then the best player left will likely be Exum, Smart, Vonleh, or Gordon. Or, if we find a taker for Dion Waiters, Zach Lavine (guarantee he’ll be the top10 pick few saw coming this year).
Re Lue: Well, Blatt certainly didn’t have to wait long for a rude initiation to
the NBA. When you come in with no leverage they can seat your rival
right next to you on the bench and give him a whistle in practice. Do
not like this. All FO actions should be signalling their young players,
who have already killed two coaches, that they must buy into a Euro
coach with a different vision, that the coach is here long term. Lue
presumably doesn’t know Blatt, what he does, how he thinks. This smacks
of Gilbert hedging his bets, creating a safety net in case he needs
course correction rather than going all in on Blatt. Wrong signal to the
players, and not maximizing the chance of Blatt’s success.
[apologies for re-comment – put it in wrong thread earlier]
You could be correct, but I refuse to think negatively on it. I am going with Lue being the bridge for Blatt to use to communicate better with the NBA players. My biggest concern with Blatt is not his system, but that the way he operates overseas may not fly with our players. Lue can help him there.
Andrew,
Two points that I like for you to consider about Joel Embiid.
1. Think Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his early struggles with injuries in his NBA career. True the injuries occurred after he was drafted, but that didn’t provoke the Cavs to trade, or waived him off the team. They let him recover and as a result, he became a staple in Cleveland Cavaliers history.
2. Since none of us can predict the future, it’s possible that Embiid could end up just like Greg Oden, BUT it’s also possible that this may be the last injury that he will receive in a long time.
I would be more positive if Blatt and Lue went way back. This smells of a shotgun arrangement scheme by Gilbert. Blatt is 55, a HC for years, and knows what type of assistants work best with him. He has plenty of NBA contacts of his own. I believe if it works it will be because Blatt is the type of special guy who can survive owner interference. But I want the owner to put his underlings in the best position to succeed, and sticking an up and coming 37 year old rival next to you seems like owner nibby-nosing.
Z is a horrible example. He had to have his feet surgically re-broken and reconstructed, multiple subsequent procedures, missed huge parts of seasons and had his minutes monitored for years. He also returned less athletic than the second year guy who could really run and even jump a little. His comeback was an exception among so many big men with serious lower leg/foot problems. Bill Walton, Sam Bowie, Yao Ming are more the rule. This year the Cavs lucked out for once, that the injury manifested itself before the draft and that they pick #1 rather than #3. They cannot toss the top pick in this draft based on a longshot that Embiid is Z.
According to Wojnarowski, Blatt and Lue have been talking frequently. There’s no indication of any animosity or pressure. To me, this is simply giving Blatt a tool to help ease the transition period. In all likelihood, if Lue is as well respected as everyone says he is, he’s only going to be in Cleveland for this year before someone else hires him as a head coach.
I am glad you defended candy corn so I didn’t have to do it. Also, those little pumpkins are awesome.
Man, you guys are nuts. Candy corn is so gross.
Okay, that is where we differ. I’m not down with buddy arrangements. I enjoy when deserving people are targeted for jobs (both head job and lower levels). Just a philosophy thing though I am not naive enough to not understand that it doesn’t usually work that way.
I completely agree.
I hate to sound like a JFF apologist, but he’s 21 and came into a LOT of money. When I was 21 and didn’t have any money, I was partying like Johnny. Except instagram wasn’t a thing and also no one cares what I do.
Also, (to my knowledge) there are no pictures of him doing this stuff on a school night. If he’s doing it Saturday nights before games, there’s an issue. Weekends during the off-season? Let’s cool down a bit, folks.
Have no doubt they’re talking frequently, and amicably. Once the owner or GM suggest it, what is Blatt to do? This is his NBA shot, and there have been two firings in 2 years. He must ask himself: why did Lue leave the Clippers, just for more money, or a clear path? Again, if it works it will be a tribute to Blatt. But there were plenty of NBA lifers to be had.
so cynical, Harv. This is Cleveland! Only good things happen!
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/06/is_it_time_for_johnny_manziel.html
From the pen of Mary Kay: “With the pattern Manziel has shown since being drafted, it’s time to have him evaluated by a chemical dependency counselor to make sure he doesn’t have a problem.”
I’m not a lawyer, but isn’t it borderline libelous to suggest publicly that someone has a drug addiction? How did this not get edited down by the PD?
I can’t hear you, I’m too busy eating…
http://www.myfoodnfitnessdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_1200-1024×682.jpg
He may be 21yo and came into a lot of money, but he’s been pretty dang wealthy his whole life. It’s just how he was raised and what he does. Not sure if it’s a problem, but the media is making it a big deal before it’s really a big deal.
I agree. However, I do think people are justified in critiquing the excess of his partying, and his blithe indifference to the social media broadcasting of his exploits – especially juxtaposed with his statements on record, as Nate Ulrich points out. There are ways to have fun and be 21 without looking like an out-of-touch narcissist. If anything, it’s not good for his “brand”.
That is completely outrageous. Chemical Dependency isn’t something the PD should just be tossing around lightly. And yeah, good luck forcing Manziel to have to see a counselor because he’s partying on the weekends. Un-freaking-real. I am pretty furious about this.
From MKC, the Plain Delaer’s very best (Nerd Club brothers, gimme a shoulder to cry on):
” If he loses the appeal, it would result in banishment, meaning he’d literally be kicked out of the NFL for at least a year …”
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/06
cleveland_browns_josh_gordon_h.htm
Wonder if the NFL hires a retired kickoff guy for such purposes, or whether they just use a special shoe. Somewhere your 7th grade English teacher weeps, Mary Kay.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0npJjUfFoA/UlRVTO5Uj9I/AAAAAAAAIcs/lZ_kMjsCIaY/s1600/The_Simpsons_Bart_Vs_Australia_1995_5.jpg
#Mormoney
I agree with everything except for the last bit. The JFF brand is actually being built upon his TMZ lifestyle. Kardashians and whoever the current people are have shown that there is a big segment of America who will love to follow the lives of people that will just live their life how they want to without apologies.
It’s actually a bit amazing that the NFL hasn’t had a QB this outlandish since Joe Namath. Or, it hasn’t had a successful one. Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young and Matt Leinart are the QBs with these off-field pursuits that got the most publicized and they failed as they let it get out of control and take over their lives. But, Tony Romo and Tom Brady both are known to live these types of lives too, and they are just fine.
Regardless, it is going to make the Browns a national follow. And, hopefully, just as the Browns rise into a contender.
Sorry. My first instinct has always been to initially view all FO moves on any Cleveland team favorably. And if the move is inexplicable (hiring Shurmur, hiring Lombardi, retaining Mangini in a system he doesn’t coach) I’ve always “reserved judgement.” Can’t anymore, just can’t, not when chances of success are being minimized.
This is a great point, though sadly one reflecting a cynical, cynical age.
I suppose if I were in charge of Manziel’s “branding” I would see much greater long-term return in his accomplishments as a franchise quarterback. The TMZ stuff is fleeting and tied to his youth, which will quickly vanish. Becoming a franchise QB and winning a Super Bowl will give the “brand” (god I hate typing that word) traction for a lifetime. In other words, “Johnny Football” will be much more enduring than “Johnny Socialite”.
Ahh, but I still have to bring up point #2 on my list. We still don’t know what will happen to Embiid in the future. A fate similar to Z, or injury free. Who knows. At this point, I just want to see if Griffin is a gambling man and choose Embiid anyway despite the injury history, or if he will play it safe and choose someone else.
But, if you put those 2 hands together, then you will have a brand that can survive even a drunken national broadcast of trying to kiss Suzy Kolber.
ah, the reverse jinx method. okay, have at it.
I don’t think it’s a consideration for Griffin. Even if Embiid is healthy, then there are worries about tracking his minutes and any potential reduced athleticism. Last year, we would still take Embiid and cross our fingers. This year, with Wiggins and Parker on the board, the only way we gamble on Embiid is if we get to move down a few slots.
I mean, it’s obvious enough that in a time when noone wants to reveal ANYTHING, Milwaukee’s owner has already gone on record as saying they will not take him.
This is what happens when back-to-back-to-back meetings start before 7am
I see your boot and raise you an “excellent” boot
http://deadhomersociety.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/auditionrejection.png
Call me crazy but I still like Embiid. Oden and Yao…I don’t think those are the right comparisons. I could see Sam Bowie or perhaps Bill Walton but even those guys aren’t Embiid. He is 7′ but he is so much more athletic than anyone else his size. He is the antithesis of a lumbering big guy yet even at 250lbs (svelte for his size) he isn’t lanky.
Regardless of what happens, I wish the young man health and a prosperous NBA career.
can you guys get the share buttons off the left hand side of the page. really sucks – it overlaps the text of the articles.
Why couldn’t this suffice for Gordon’s punishment?
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m20j17pBKl1r3ifxzo1_500.gif
I honestly don’t know if all this is a result of “journalists” heightening an existing story out of nothing because no new info is coming out, or if they know something we don’t.
My Cleveland fan paranoia leads me to worry about the latter, but with him being recorded so consistantly, how could there be anything hidden?
It’s a shame, but at this point it’s like…
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/2143791/sad-homer-cries-o.gif
if you are on non-mobile device, then you can shrink the window width to the text size and it disappears.
I get what you’re saying, Mgbode. The problem is we don’t know who Griffin is considering right now. And now that we have Blatt as our head coach, his influence could change Griffins’ mind entirely.
Come on, Thursday.
I think people forget, but so was Z. Not quite where Embiid was, but he was extremely athletic before the feet issues.
And, the big concern is that Embiid has now had 2 stress fractures in different parts of his body. For a person who started basketball late, it is quite possible that his body did not develop in a way that could sustain the pounding that the game takes. I was fine with the gamble when it was 1 stress fracture in his back, but when you add another in his foot, I’m backing away.
http://ht.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/video/teams/cavaliers/2014/02/28/140228rookieMVPmov-3176502-8.576×324.jpg
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/1284412/superkick-o.gif
This is the best thing ever.
I’m glad MKC isn’t writing about how I live my life.
I suppose that could be, but I dunno….I mean, I don’t think MKC is following JFF around on the weekends. I don’t think anyone knows how much he’s drinking and if/what else he’s doing. And that’s why this whole story drives me nuts. Nobody knows anything.
And if you’re on a mobile device, the resolution is already so small that the buttons aren’t there.
Whaddya say Mary Kay?
http://media.giphy.com/media/VrzJFy23mZHEc/giphy.gif