Did Mike Pettine make a foot fetish joke about Rex Ryan in ALS ice bucket video?
August 15, 2014Video: Kyrie Irving accepts ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
August 17, 2014The Cavaliers’ wild and amazing summer just keeps on rolling. The latest development is that veteran Shawn Marion has agreed to join the wine and gold, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Unless the Mavericks agree to a sign-and-trade deal, Marion will be on board for the veteran minimum.
Marion joins an incredibly deep and talented Cavaliers roster that has come together in a matter of just weeks. Last season in Dallas, the Matrix averaged nearly 32 minutes per game and played in 76 contests. In his 15-year career that has been spent primarily in Phoenix and Dallas with brief stops in Miami and Toronto, he has always been a 30+ minute per night, durable, starting small forward. In many cases, Marion because of his defensive skill and athleticism is asked to play small-ball power forward. Last year, Marion averaged 10.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks while shooting 48% overall, 36% from three, and 79% at the free throw line. He’s got a funky shot delivery, but it hasn’t stopped him from being efficient when open around the arc and converting at the line. One of his greatest assets, though, is his ability to defend 2-4 on the opposing side of the ball at 6’7″ and 220 lbs.
Marion is likely to see a somewhat reduced role in Cleveland, but his presence will have an incredible impact. While he’ll likely be coming off the bench for the first extended amount of time in his career, one would expect him to still see 20-25 minutes per night. The player most affected by Marion and the pending Love trade will undoubtedly be Tristan Thompson, who will need to play more of his minutes at center now backing up Anderson Varejao. Overall, I’m alright with that situation because of Tristan’s rebounding skill and the ability for Love to stretch the floor beside him. My only concern is how the team will fare against some of the few and far between centers left in the game (Dwight Howard, Roy Hibbert, Pau Gasol, and Brook Lopez, for instance). The Cavaliers are betting that their offensive firepower and athleticism will overshadow any shortcoming there, and I’m inclined to believe them.
LeBron’s recruiting skills have been vital in landing Mike Miller, James Jones, and Marion along with getting Kevin Love interested in coming to Cleveland. David Griffin deserves a bit of credit for this acquisition, however, as Marion reportedly had a good relationship with Griffin during his nine years in Phoenix when Griffin was a part of the front office.
Marion made it clear he wanted to play for a contender, and the Pacers, Heat, and Clippers were among those interested. In Indiana, he would’ve stepped into a starting role with the absence of Paul George, but Indiana was not willing to break the bank and use the entire injury exception of $5.3 million allotted to them for Paul George, as it would have put them into the luxury tax. Marion won his first title with Dallas in 2011 against James and the Heat, and he’ll be looking for number two when the two pair up this season.
The team is looking at its most depth in franchise history with Marion, Mike Miller, and Tristan Thompson all likely coming off the bench, and it’s possible that more is still on the way if Ray Allen agrees to join the Cavs. The team could also be looking to add a veteran third point guard, such as Chauncey Billups, or a bigger body for backup center (Emeka Okafor, Greg Stiemsma, Jermaine O’Neal, and Ekpe Udoh are a few names still out there).
Related: All the numbers on new Cleveland star Kevin Love
(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
39 Comments
i think you mean Mike Miller not Ray Allen. We haven’t signed Jesus Shuttlesworth yet..
Correct. Thanks, RB
What about that first-round pick offer for Mosgov? Anyone hear anything new?
Love this signing now lets be greedy at Allen and possibly another big man. If it’s Mozgov from Denver this roster will be amazing from top to bottom. Well that is once six days passes and K-Love comes to town.
Great signing. Lets LeBron keep his minutes down without a production plunge and puts a defensive stopper out there. And another perfect recipient for Love’s deep post pattern outlet passes.
Not sure why we’d think this mostly impacts Tristan’s minutes. Marion will mostly play SF, Bennett and Zeller are gone and Andy averages only 40 games per year. Unless they find some semblance of a big man Tristan will get more minutes than any of us should want.
Anyone else feel like they’re about to be shaken awake, Cavs have the 8th pick in the draft, LeBron and Wade are cruising through the playoffs and we’re still complaining about players making “super teams”?
The non-stop stuff going on here is just surreal, man.
According to Pluto, Dallas has renounced the rights to Marion (to sign Parsons). so… no sign and trade I believe.
… Remember the Cavs 2 months ago? What an incredible summer.
Since we are signing the MATRIX, I can only offer this regarding a semi dream state:
I know this steak isnt real. I know the matrix is just telling me that it is moist and delicious. After 9 years Ive come to one conclusion…
Ignorance is bliss.
Nothing like this off-season has occurred in Cleveland sports since I was born. I’m loving every second of it. Of course everything always looks better on paper but for now I’m almost giddy. Oh and thank you LeBron James!
I think the cvs are going to be running more. Don’t know if I agree with it but we will see. Lebron already dropped about 15 lbs. not a lot if bigs can run
Championships first…
Championships only. At least one anyway. The LBJ homecoming is a touching story, and yes it’s exciting to see big names (even if many of those big names on the down slope of their careers) coming to the north shore. But money will now be tight, and young affordable talent (along with quality draft picks) is being shipped off in an effort to form Voltron. If it all ends without at least one title, this could end up being just another (and maybe the most) painful period of being thisclose in Cleveland sports.
Marion was what this super team needed. A veteran defensive presence who can pass, rebound, run, and has enough funky little flips around the bucket to be an overall nuisance to opposing teams.
If we maintain our health, then 60wins seems to be the floor now (assuming Love trade as last reported) and Chicago is the only team who can even conceivably compete with the Cavs in the East (and would likely require a full Rose recovery).
Disagree that 60 wins is a floor this first year, don’t think you can just look at a roster and calculate wins. The 2010 Heat won 58, despite LeBron joining a playoff-tested Wade still in his prime, Bosh with playoff experience, and a team and coach that had just won 48 and at least tasted the playoffs. As unselfish as that big 3 it took them half a season to figure out how to play together. They started that season 9-8.
The Cavs will win plenty of games but we have to expect growing pains as everyone figures it out and our young guys taste what it feels like to play in the bright lights when the opponent is actually trying. 60 wins would be the result of everything going just right – early meshing, Blatt needing no learning curve, and guys who’ve never played in big games or given full effort in a string of games all responding well.
Yes, Heat 2.0 please
Not even close the team the Cavaliers has assembled especially in 5 DAYS, is much better. But even so four consecutive trips to the finals with two championships, yea, I think Cleveland would find that acceptable.
Ah yes LBJ is still the bad guy UNLESS he brings you people a championship.
yeah, likely outlandish with that claim. but, I don’t think this roster needs everything to go right to win 60 either (assuming Love trade). they just need to stay relatively healthy and have some things go their way (and have someone push them for the 1seed so they don’t rest late).
the young guys playing in the bright lights doesn’t even matter that much anymore. there won’t be all that many young guys on the floor at the same time anymore and they’ll have guys like LeBron and Love to take the pressure off when they are. Kyrie can shoot wide-open 3pters. and, their potentially fatal flaw (not much defense in the paint) is more likely to be exposed in a playoff series than the regular season.
the town certainly deserves to have some things go their way and have a dominant team to cheer on for a change despite my reservations about cheering such a team on.
Wade hasn’t been in his prime for awhile maybe that first year he was his healthiest but he’s been on the decline for awhile. More importantly Miami may have ONLY won 58 games that initial season but they also did make it to the finals. A finals where they weren’t overmatched like this past one but a finals where Dallas was the hungrier of the two if you ask me.
Besides that the surrounding cast right now for the Cavaliers is much better and I would say a trio of Irving-LBJ-Love is better then Wade-LBJ-Bosh. But my point is the Cavaliers are deeper and more talented right now then Miami ever was the past four seasons and more importantly the Cavaliers still have assets and flexibility to make this team even better. Which should be scary to people who watch basketball. But of course the unseen elements like you mention are always a possibility but this team has real life proven talent something no Cleveland team has seen in a very long time. Maybe this is the cause of the angst.
If Griffin can land Mozgov or another big of equal talent, ohhhhhhhh my! But even if he can’t and the Cavaliers start the season with Varejao and Hayward in the middle it won’t be any worse then what Miami put on the court at center the past four years and I think that worked out ok. The rest of the cast in Cleveland is far superior it’s just a matter of health and the team coming together under Blatt and learning to play. I really don’t forsee this being a problem. LBJ won;t let it be a problem and I don;t mean by him taking over I mean him being a proven winner and learning what it is to be a professional. That is you run the system and move the ball. Having guys like Miller, Jones and Marion (guys with rings) won’t hurt either. There’s a reason these guys took less and it starts with LBJ but it’s also the situation. Ray Allen come on down.
“… the surrounding cast right now for the Cavaliers is much better and I would say a trio of Irving-LBJ-Love is better then Wade-LBJ-Bosh.”
This is some weird Cleveland talk. LeBron is probably better now in the last half of his prime. But Kyrie is not better than the 28 year old Wade in his prime with a ring and extensive big game experience. He was one of the league’s elite players, maybe top 10, which is not the same as being an all-star game MVP or 3-point shot winner. Not a huge Bosh fan but he was already a 5-time all-star in 2010 and not clearly inferior to Love. And Spoelstra and the rest had just been to the playoffs. I believe these Cavs will figure out how to make the gears mesh but this idea that the roster alone puts us past the rest of the conference is some weird hyperventilating caused by this crazy off-season.
You can’t speak for the entire city.
What do you mean, “you people”?
Bad guy? Not so much. I have no ill will toward the man. But LBJ as Pied Piper of Superfriends means exactly zero to me as a Cavaliers fan if it doesn’t bring Cleveland a title. I get that some people are just excited to see quality basketball again, or love the attention/money it brings the city, or are simply pumped to have the hometown hero return. Those things are of little comfort to me. Those things plus four quarters can get me something from our cafeteria vending machine, and nothing more. That may set me up for more chances than not of being disappointed, but that’s my problem. I won’t be satisfied with “close” on this one. You are free to decide your own standard, and they don’t have to be the same.
And Mr. Hurley beat me to it, but I’m going with it anyway.
Believe me I would be happy not to so feel free to remain unhappy if you wish.
The ones who won’t be happy unless he brings a championship.
It’s all about the championship noone else on here has ever said anything less was acceptable more then me but lets be fair. While you may discount quality basketball, dislike the attention and or the money brought in there are plenty of others who do not namely Dan Gilbert. But honestly after watching the last four years I’d have thought people would have gotten over LBJ leaving but I guess just like the first seven years love is in the eye of the beholder.
But lets be fair…the Indians have won nothing in decades in fact they get points for “coming close” in 1995 and especially in 1997 so to now imply that even if the LBJ led Cavaliers come up short it’s a bad thing doesn’t seem right. At least to me.
Btw that movie sucked if not for the individual performances by a few it would have been even worse.
Of course they have to play the games first this is implied must it be stated over and over to make people happy? Evidently so.
You seem to think quite highly of the Miami Heat funny thing is despite being to the playoffs led by Spoelstra as you said they weren’t exactly top notch. Kind of why LBJ and Bosh went there I think. I want to see what Spoelstra does this season. He has talent back but we’ll see if Wade and Bosh can be the big dogs especially Bosh.
Anyways you compare the Heat roster to the Cavaliers roster, well wait until 8/23 or approximately, and you tell me if overall Cleveland isn’t better. If you want to break it down player by player position by position that’s fine too I’ll still stick with Cleveland being better.
As for the trio comparisons of Wade-LBJ-Bosh to Irving-LBJ-Love yes Wade trumps Irving but I happen to think more highly of Mr. Irving especially given his age. Love right now is better then Bosh ever was and well like you said LBJ is probably better now then before. He absolutely is and I’m sure mgbode could provide statistical proof of the efficiency at which he now plays.
So yes I stand by everything I said previously 1000%!
that’s a lot of percent
that’s a lot of percent
http://mokucorrea.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/no-guts-no-glory_design.png
Have some faith Harv21 me and cousin LeBron won’t let you down, this time!
Gordon Hayward is not coming to the Cavs, nor would he be a very effective defensive center đ
And, having so many guys with the ability to shoot 3pters definitely helps the learning curve. The biggest issue Miami had that first season was figuring out how to share the ball between Wade & LeBron while trying to move Bosh out of the paint to give them room. Kyrie & Love can both be used in pick-n-rolls or sit outside the 3pt line and shoot, so those issues aren’t there. The main issue is figuring out the defense.
Tropic Thunder was hilarious on many different levels. Do.Not.Hate.
Haywood my bad but u know the big stiff to which I referred.
Blatt and his system will be the key to how well/fast this team comes together. I like what Blatt said that he works with his players not his players working to his schemes. The fact that Lue and now Drew are assistants make me feel hopeful that this will be the case.
Take it easy Ebert!
1. I do not discount quality basketball, especially given what we have been asked to endure for the past several seasons. It fun to watch is an insultingly low bar for such an assembly of talent and expense.
2. I do not dislike the attention or money that having a super team of our own in town will bring. But more money in the city’s coffers and more folks hitting the bars on game nights are not the reasons I support the teams I do. Those are lovely ripples in the pond, but the purpose of building pro sports teams is to win. His team as glorified and expensive tourism bureau is not its central responsibility.
3. Again, I hold no grudges against LBJ. His method of announcing his departure was despicable. But he has demonstrated at least some evidence of growth and maturity in the years since, and I respect him as a great player. In other words, nothing to get over.
4. The Indians of the 90s were an exciting collection of players who provided memorable moments and generated unmatched excitement. I hold several of those players in high esteem to this day, as I may several of these current Cavaliers, title or not. But those Indians teams were ultimately failures in terms of winning it all. It was as close to the pinnacle as this town has been in decades, and remains a painful subject despite its successes. Not sure who is awarding points in your scorebook, but you won’t find them coming from me. Great, but failed, teams.
5. I didn’t care for Tropic Thunder much myself.
Well that was 30 seconds of my life I’ll never get back but thanks!
(kidding…or am I?)
Always a pleasure, sham.
(or is it?)
Careful son your getting close to making my list. Using my own move against me, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so that saved you, this time.
But seriously I get some of your points I don’t really agree with a lot of it but hey, we can’t always be right! đ
The list is long, but distinguished