Cavaliers Go With Potential In Draft
I guess this is why the NBA Draft is such a Jekyll and Hyde experience for so many people. Perhaps in no other sports annual draft do you constantly feel like you’re just witnessing one big crapshoot. Mock Drafts are ripped to shreds, usually by about the 5th or 6th pick, and by the time you get to #30, where the Cavaliers were picking, anyone’s guess is as good as anyone else’s.
The first 2 picks last night were of no surprise, as Blake Griffin went to the Clippers and Hasheem Thabeet went to the Grizzlies. Pick 3 is where the interest began. With rumors of Oklahoma City seriously shopping the pick, they ended up keeping it and taking James Harden, setting up a chain of events that led to Tyreke Evans going 4th to the Kings. It was about this time the Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst had this to say on his Twitter account:
If Rubio slips to Minnesota at No. 5, look for Cavs to try to get the Wolves No. 18 pick.
Consequently, that was also the time I began to get my hopes up that maybe the Cavaliers were going to find themselves a player who could actually come in and really contribute right away. Presumably, the guy the Cavaliers would be targeting at would be someone like Ty Lawson, or even perhaps Sam Young. When Evans went 4th and the Wolves took Rubio at 5, I started to get excited.
My jubilation was quite misplaced, though, as I would soon find out. When the Wolves’ pick at 18 came up, they did indeed take their 3rd PG of the night in Ty Lawson, and my heart jumped. Surely the Wolves just made that pick to trade to the Cavs, right? Almost. They traded the pick alright, but instead of Danny Ferry making the move, it was the Denver Nuggets who had pulled the trigger.
Perhaps the Cavs really wanted Sam Young, and with guys like Wayne Ellington, DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Patrick Mills all still available, perhaps Ferry was content to wait a few picks and save some money while still getting a guy they liked who could help the Cavaliers this season. It was shortly thereafter that Windhorst tweeted again, this time saying:
It is possible the Cavs could flop with any of these teams and move up. Sam Young is there if they want him.
Ok, hope was alive again. After watching a guy I craved in last year’s draft (Courtney Lee) be an important part of the Orlando Magic’s team that crushed our dreams and broke our hearts last year, it would have seemed that a guy like Sam Young would be a perfect addition from the Cavaliers. Experienced, older, NBA-ready, and the size to defend on the wing, things were looking up for the Cavaliers.
When the Timberwolves came on the clock yet again at the 28th pick, they took Wayne Ellington, and with only the Knicks left to pick before the Cavaliers, it meant they were going to have either Sam Young or DeJuan Blair available. When the Knicks took Toney Douglas, it seemed too good to be true, but the Cavaliers had their pick of the litter of guys who could possibly be a nice addition this season. Sam Young and DeJuan Blair were the big names from the big program, but there were also guys like DaJuan Summers, Derrick Brown, and Pat Mills available. Heck, even a guy the Cavaliers were rumored to like in the past, Chase Budinger, was available. Danny Ferry’s options were seemingly limitless. Perhaps unfortunately (depending on your point of view), that was a little too true, and Ferry did indeed reach into his limitless bag of options and pulled out a name nobody expected to see.
The name was Christian Eyenga, a 6’5” 210 lb forward from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Eyenga, who happened to be in attendance at the draft, sheepishly stood up to head to the podium, seemingly in complete shock that he was just drafted in the 1st round of the NBA Draft. The ESPN crew was eerily silent, saying absolutely nothing as they tore through their notes looking for any info on the guy. The Draft Board at Madison Square Garden stood empty beside the Cleveland Cavaliers’ name and logo, as they didn’t even bother making a nameplate for Eyenga. Finally, ESPN was able to get their foreign prospects expert Fran Fraschilla on the air, just in time for him to tell us that Eyenga was young, raw, athletic, and was seen as no more than a mid to very late 2nd round pick in this year’s draft.
The air was sucked out of the lungs of Cavaliers’ fans all over. I remember last year people freaking out over the pick of JJ Hickson, and I was quick to point out to them that they should be patient with Hickson and that he has serious potential to be a VERY good NBA player some day. I want to do the same with Eyenga, but I cannot. For several reasons.
First of all, I know nothing about Eyenga’s game. Hardly anyone does. If you go to the great NBA draft site, DraftExpress.com, you will find no photo on file for Eyenga, and no profile, no list of positives and negatives. The only thing you will see are a few stats from the 4 games he played in the Euroleague for Joventut Badalona in Spain, and a brief little write-up from November 14, 2008 that concludes,
Eyenga doesn’t particularly stand out for his skills or basketball IQ. Still, he can knock down three-pointers, even if his high-released jumper is pretty inconsistent (he struggles finding balance in the air to ignite a fluid release). He also shows a very nice first step to beat his opponents off the dribble -although he lacks the ball-handling skills to change directions reliably- and he shows decent criteria passing the ball. At least, he seems aware of what he can do on the court. Defensively, he’s pretty intimidating, and regularly collects spectacular blocks. Still, he sometimes relies too much on his athleticism while defending, not properly doing his job on the ground.
Not likely to develop into a big-time prospect, Eyenga’s athleticism makes him moderately intriguing as a defensive-oriented small forward (who plays bigger than his size) with –hopefully- a decent outside stroke.
The bottom line is, there’s always room for taking risks and drafting on potential and looking to build for the future. The issue here, though, is that Danny Ferry seemed to be sending conflicting messages. After telling the media earlier that afternoon that the Cavaliers aren’t going to patient and that they want to win now, he went out later that evening and picked for the future.
Nobody here is saying Sam Young was a sure fire prospect. He fell all the way to pick #36 in the draft, so obviously plenty of teams had plenty of questions and concerns about how well Young’s game will really translate to the NBA. The issue here is that the Cavaliers simply made a pick that wasn’t a pick. Eyenga isn’t coming to the NBA any time soon. He’s 20 years old right now, and is likely to stay in Europe for at least a year or maybe even 2, and then he could probably even expect some time in the Development League before he ever sees a roster spot on the Cavaliers.
In the 2nd round, the Cavaliers did a little better. With pick #46, they took Danny Green from the National Champion North Carolina Tar Heels. Green is precisely the kind of player the Cavaliers need. He’s long, versatile, is a relentless defender, and can shoot from anywhere on the court. There are questions about his explosiveness and his ability to create his own shot, which are legit concerns and why a player with his skill level fell so far in the draft, but in a good situation like the one he’s walking into in Cleveland, I think he has a chance to help. Whereas JJ Hickson’s rawness and lack of defensive awareness made it tough for him to find consistent minutes, Green has a chance to play a similar role to Darnell Jackson. Like DJ, Green is a smart player who can defend well, and is coming off a National Championship run in college.
Finally, the last move of the night for Ferry was to trade for the rights to Emir Preldzic, who the Phoenix Suns took with the 57th pick in the draft. Preldzic is definitely more NBA-ready than Christian Eyenga is right now, but Preldzic’s upside sounds pretty limited. He’s a 6’9” 220 lb wing player/point forward who continues the Cavaliers’ trend last night of going for versatile combo forwards. Preldzic, who plays in Turkey for Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul of the Euroleague, is a guy with tremendous ball handling skills and with a nose for driving to the hoop and finishing in the lane. His problem is that he can’t shoot. In 16 Euroleague games last year, he shot just 24.5% from three and 35.8% from the field overall, averaging 7.3 points in 22.6 minutes per game. It seems kind of unlikely to me that Preldzic will be coming to the US yet anyway, and he seems like a prime candidate to stay in Turkey for another year of seasoning.
It’s entirely possible that Danny Ferry will have the last laugh. If 4 years from now Eyenga is on the Cavaliers roster and an important part of the Cavs’ rotation on a team that is competing for Championships year in and year out, then this pick will indeed be worth it. But if, as so many foreign picks seem to end up, Christian Eyenga is a flop and never sees an NBA court, this will go down in history as yet another wasted draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise and a waste of an opportunity to find someone who could contribute in any way to LeBron’s last year under contract with the Cavaliers. History will be the only true judge of this year’s draft.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:09 am
I would say there’s less than a 50/50 chance that the Congo Sensation will ever wear the Wine and Gold in a regular season game.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:10 am
The Big Congo?
June 26th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Totally misses the point. Did you not see what the Lakers did? They traded, moved, gave away their #29 round 1 pick for a #2 next year. Why? So they won’t have to devote valuable cap space to a player likely available in the second round. Is it so hard to see that the CAVS determined it better to reserve and allocate cap space rather than pluck a body to fill a roster spot with guaranteed monies; who in all likelihood wouldn’t contribute a darn to an experienced playoff contender? Just because you read about profiled players like Sam Young and Blair means nothing in regards to their NBA profiles-both went in round two and are precisely what they are-the longest of shots to make major NBA contributions. Danny Green is just as likely and capable of filling that role, and he comes without a committment to cap space in future years.
Forget about Sam Young and Blair ok? The CAVS (like the Lakers) are practicing sound strategy in regards to spending dollars on current and future CONTRIBUTORS. The “rebuilding” teams (the havenots) will collect round one projects and longshots and their cap allotments.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:20 am
If the Cavs didn’t want this pick, they could’ve sold it and just signed young Christian as an undrafted FA. Why bother drafting him in the 1st and leaving him overseas? Was Blair THAT bad of an option??
June 26th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Isis is dead on
June 26th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Yeah, you got it all backwards RockKing. The Cavs don’t NEED players now. The Clippers and Grizzlies of the NBA NEED players now. When you win 66 games a year and are contending for a championship you can afford to take on long term prospects and let them develop. I don’t really see what Blair would have contributed to this team right now anyways.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Isis is absoultely correct. There’s nothing really else to say, unless you’re just trying to spew rumors/cause drama.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Danny Green may be capable of filling one of those roles, and the Cavs were trying to save a little money, but ‘cap allotments’ is not sound reasoning here. The Cavs currently have 10 players under contract. They will either have to fill those spots with players making the league minimum, use their MLE on one player (which they will do) or sign their draft picks. Even if Sam Young was selected at 30, he wouldn’t have commanded more than $800K. Those spots are slotted.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:42 am
There’s got to be a reason Blair and Young were still on the board at 30 when they were both projected to go much higher.
I’m not sayin, I’m just sayin.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Horace, another point to be made, is that if they trade this year’s first round pick, they cannot trade next year’s first rounder. This is why he just basically used it on a long shot who won’t affect the cap this year.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:56 am
They should have taken Blair to replace Varejo. He’s only 6′7″ but has a 7′2″ wingspan and is an extremely good rebounder. He may not be able to flop as well as Varejo, but he is clearly a better shooter.
I have no complaints about the Danny Green Pick, it was solid.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Sam Young would have been an $800K/yr two year guaranteed contract that effectively doubles due to the luxury tax. Is the 30th pick in a bad draft worth $1.6M a year?
The Cavs have an enormous payroll. Getting angry because they don’t want to commit millions to someone unlikely to see a minute of floor time isn’t fair to an organization that is outspending most of the league.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Ben, Blair slipped because he had both ACL’s scoped in high school and teams were afraid his knees wouldn’t hold up through an NBA season. I have no idea why Younger did.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I would rather have Blair then Hickson on the cavs. Just saying, a guy with his rebounding skills would be nice to have, and the Cavs had the option to take that luxury. Hell, Patty Mills would have been nice because if West or Williams get hurt, they are really low on guards who can play.
I agree completely with Rock. Ferry talks about how he’s trying to go for a championship in the day, but misses on potentially adding key pieces to get them there. I like the Green pick, and if they got Mills and Green then I think they had a great draft. Then they seemingly waste money on some other foreign guy that no ones heard of? if you are trying to tell me they are saving money, why spend some on the 57th pick in the draft? seems pointless to me.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Once again people. Pay attention. If the Cavs take Blair or Young then you have to sign him to a contract and hope like crazy that he can contribute to the team since he is taking up a roster spot and has a guarantee contract (past 2010 as well). Guys that fall to 30 barely become relevant in the NBA, esepcially when they are rookies.
Instead, you draft a project player with your first round pick and keep him overseas so you still have a free roster spot.
Also, now you have the ability to trade next year’s first round pick for an ESTABLISHED player this offseason. Something that would not have been possible if we traded last night’s first round pick for cash
June 26th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Unlike the Lakers, the Cavs’ front line is ancient and because we traded away Sasha and most certainly not re-signing Wally next year, we have no depth with our swing men.
This is our current bench as it currently stands: Illgauskas, Boobie, Hickson, Jackson, Kinsey, Green.
Who is coming off the bench to give Lebron a rest? Who?!?!?! Tarence Kinsey? You kidding me.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
The more I think about it. The less sense it makes.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Just sayin’.
(Trying to be positive, here….)
June 26th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
We have a lot of new commenters here, which is great. But please read the ‘Before You Comment’ page (tab at top). We are a family friendly site. There is no need for cursing in your comments. You really don’t have to use funky characters either….
June 26th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
No sweat.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
But I like funky characters, like the tilde! ~~~ <— it looks like waves!!!!
June 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Thanks Rob!
June 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I also share Doc’s concern’s with the bench. Maybe if they get a starter PF over Andy it wont be horrible, since almost everyone agrees andy is a better bench player then starter. The bench though really isn’t better then last year though, and thats what killed the cavs eventually.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
If you take Young or Blair at 30 then you have to pay them a contract but they’re also so much more likely to contribute. The Cavs needed a solid wing defender, no more, no less. They could’ve gotten that with Young, Summers or Brown. They must be pretty darn certain they can re-sign Varejao if they’re going to be picking Eyenga. They better be.
If you’re Ferry, you can’t go into a 6pm press conference, say we’re trying to win now, then go and pick this Eyenga kid two hours later. That’s not a consistent message. If we can all agree Danny Green (which was a very solid pick) would’ve been there at #46, the Cavs would’ve been much better served to get Young, Summers or Blair, guaranteed contract or not.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Just so I understand, everyone would prefer the Cavs just pick nobody rather than try to find a guy like Courtney Lee? Ok, got it. Also, you would prefer someone like Lorenzen Wright, who you know can’t play, over someone like Sam Young, who might be able to play? Ok, got it.
I’m too lazy to scroll back up, but whoever said “the Cavs don’t NEED players” now, well, you’re flat out wrong.
1. Mo
2. Delonte
3. LBJ
4. AV (maybe)
5. Shaq
6. Z
7. Boobie
8. Hickson
9. DJ
10. Green
IF the Cavs re-sign AV, they will have 10 roster players. They can use the MLE to get an 11th. Maybe they can use the Bi-Annual to get an 12th. Maybe. The minimum roster size at any one time is 12, but a team must employ at least 14 in a season. So, I’m sorry, but you’re wrong…the Cavs need players. The Cavs paid Lorenzen Wright $1.2 million last year. I would prefer the Cavs pay Sam Young $800k this year over signing another washed up stiff to fill a roster spot.
Man, I didn’t realize that suddenly this was supposed to be a place to just praise everything the Cavaliers do without putting any thought behind it. My bad.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Thats EXACTLY right rock. I was thinking that last night. the Cavs have 10 players. The Cavs have 10 players. and thats only IF AV comes back. Get something at 30 and give them a chance to contribute rather then throw it away.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Thank you Rockking. What makes it worse is Blair went to the Spurs. Watch a coach like Pop with real player development skills turn Blair into a more talented version of Paul Millsap. I really can’t believe Ferry didnt pull the trigger on either Pitt prospect. Either coulda chewed up 10-15 minutes a game next year for not even a million dollars.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
When you have a team with the talent the Cavs have you can take prospects and wait for them to pan out. Green will be on the bench next year and Eyenga will be in Euro until his skills level off. I think Eyenga will be a contributor in a year or two. he has athletic skills out the yin yang. He is tall and lanky for his position and he can keep up the momentum when either Lebron or West hit the bench, unless Green comes in the game. I would like to see Hickson come back from this injury and be in the starting 5 next year. Mo, DWest, “The” Bron, JJ, and Shaq would be a real competitive team that can move well. Then you have Andy and Z coming off the bench, if we keep Andy… I say we let Mark Cuban have him if he wants him… We need to pick up a 6th man.. preferably a taller guard like Childress or Williams both from the Hawks. And we need to address the lack of speed at our bigs… Maybe Jason Maxiell from Detroit. If he’s willing to come off the bench again.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
And regarding the Shaq poll on the left of the screen… his new nickname is “The Lake Erie Monster” or the “Overweight by the lake” or “Shaqeveland”
June 26th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
@ Rock – I’m completely with you. I understand the argument that others are making, that the pick at 30 only had a small chance at contributing, so why tie up the salary, but the fact of the matter is, the Cavs are going to have to fill the roster with somebody. I too would rather take a flyer on a young guy that we can develop instead of a retread, has been, or barely ever was in the Lorenzo Wright mold.
Is it the Cavs intention to bring back Joe Smith somehow? Even if they can, we still need a backup PG (Mills would have been nice to try).
The fact of the matter is the Cavs DO need players, and their bench, which was brutal last year, is not better as we stand today. That could all change, but it’s not looking great after last night.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Shaqer Heights?
June 26th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
With Lamar Oden and Trevor Ariza both free agents, why weren’t the Lakers interested in Young or Blair????? Why did they trade out for a second rounder next year???
Stash the Euro kid with zero future years salary ramificatins and go find players that can rightfully contribute to a playoff team. And no, we’re not talking about stiffs like Lorenzen Wright, nor are we talking about throwning roster and cap space at projects who wouldn’t even get a splinter on this squad.
Give the CAVS time to make their next move, they are far from through.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
I should also add that there’s something to be said for “building” a winner instead of assembling one from other parts. The Indians are learning this the hard way with their inability to draft quality players, and the Cavs seems to be heading down that path.
I’m not saying LeBron is going to leave, but look at what’s on this roster at the end of next season – Mo, Delonte, Boobie, and JJ. Is that really a good enough core of players for consistent championship runs? I really love Molante, but I think we’re kidding ourselves here if we think it is. Ferry better plan on bringing in someone like a Charlie V or other young player that can continue to pair with LeBron after next season. If we bring in someone like Sheed, we’re basically putting all our eggs into the (in my opinion) slight chance we can lure Bosh out of Toronto for less money than he’d get by exercising his Bird rights.
I was thinking on my way into work today that this team could be shaping up a lot like that Lakers team a few years ago when they brought in Payton and Malone and these other aging stars. That team did not win a title.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
AMC – that team didn’t have anyone remotely close to Lebron james.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
@ Tsunami – they had Kobe. And Shaq in his prime. Do you really want to argue that Kobe + Shaq < LeBron?
June 26th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
@ Tsunami – you’re kidding right? That team (which was the 2004 Lakers by the way) had a still dominant Shaq and Kobe Bryant. They lost 1-4 in the Finals to the Pistons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_NBA_Finals
June 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Kobe Bryant shot 43% that season and had a PER under 24.
do you even WATCH LeBron James play?
June 26th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
The Lakers won 56 games that year.
the Cavs won 66 last year and in my opinion, they have a higher ceiling this year.
As far as the draft is concerned – I think you guys need to chill out a little. This was one of the weakest drafts in recent memory. The only thing the Cavs were going to get at 30 was a role player, like Danny Green. The fact that they want to save a roster spot means they will probably be looking to add at least two players with their remaining resources. I like Matt Barnes, Charlie V, Ariza, and any other long wing that can shoot.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
@Isis: The Lakers have Bird Rights for both those guys and can re-sign them both. The Lakers have a full roster and don’t need any players. Not even close to an apples to apples comparison whatsoever. Lets worry less about the Lakers and more about the Cavaliers.
@AMC: Spot on analysis. I’m also worried about the lack of a young core to this team. However, I like Mo and Delonte and Andy. I think that’s 3 solid young players. If Hickson develops, and DJ and Green can become role players, the Cavs can re-sign LBJ, and then either trade for or sign another young-ish star player, then the Cavaliers can have a good core. That’s just a lot of if’s.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
O’Neal had an off year in 2004 as well. And the Lakers backcourt was pretty old that year, unlike the Cavs backcourt which is just about to hit it’s prime.
Also, I think it was a perfect storm for the Pistons. They had just acquired Sheed in HIS Prime and they just clicked from the get go.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Matt Barnes will be a Cav. mark it down… I was upset about it last night about the first pick but It’s probably a good strategy. Invest in the future while still investing in the present by not having to pay a ‘maybe’ impactful player esentially 1.6 mil. and they got the same type of player in Green that Young is but is more defensive minded. SO the wing position will be fine when Barnes is added. That leaves Sheed and somehow getting a backup PG possibly
June 26th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Tsunami –
Yes I’ve watched LeBron play. Your thought process is bordering on being included in the post that just went up.
Guess who I like? Jamison, Wade, Butler, Bosh, Gasol, Granger, etc. That doesn’t mean the Cavs will get them. Two headline contributing players will be hard to come by with the limited resources available. And I don’t mean Gilbert’s pockets, I mean the resources allowed by the rules of the league.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
In Shaq’s “off” year of 2003-04 he had a PER of 24.4, and rating he has only surpassed once since then.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
The Cavs had 3 glaring needs following the devastating loss to the magic.
1.) Size in the frontcourt to guard Howard 1 on 1
2.) Athleticism on the wings to guard against the Magic’s ridiculously tall shooters.
3.) A low post scoring presence.
4.) A backup pg for the reg season haul.
(in that order)
In one fell swoop, they addressed 1 and 3 without giving up ANYONE that was going to get any PT.
You can bet Ferry will be out there trying to lure an athletic SF/PF to guard the Rashard Lewis’ and Lamar Odom’s of the world.
I just don’t see how this draft was of any importance. Last year the Celtics drafted Bill Walker and everyone raved about what a great pick it was.
BILL WALKER! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsHwKaDKvJU
June 26th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Maybe “off year” wasn’t the best way to phrase it.
End of his PRIME?
June 26th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
All I’m saying is this – I feel like ceiling for the cavs just skyrocketed, and if they get a guy like Charlie V – start sizing the rings. And trust me, I’m not that kind of fan. I just think the Cavs are doing a great job of addressing their needs.
They needed more offensive firepower so they got Mo Williams.
Now they needed a body to guard Howard, so they got the biggest body in the NBA.
Ferry’s not an idiot, I highly doubt he chose Christian because he felt like it. I think he has something up his sleeve and will be adding more than 1 player to this team.
And I think if they can stay healthy, they will be tough to beat.
Also, I’m actually sort of pleased that the Magic are more or less throwing in the towel on Turk – he hurts the Cavs more than Vince, although Vince is a better player all around.
I like the danny Green move too.
It just feels like there should be more exciting on WFNY right now. Just my opinion.
And just to re-iterate, Kobe in 2004, in 2006, in 2009, is NOT LeBron james, as much as the national media and hoards of Kobe loving trolls would have you believe.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
If 2004 was the end of his prime, then what is he going to bring to the Cavs in 2009-10?
June 26th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
lol – TOOO SHAY
But here’s the thing Rock. What do the cavs needs Shaq to do?
I’ll tell you.
1.) Keep Howard from establishing deep post position. He does this pretty well.
here’s hollinger’s analysis: “But most of all, O’Neal is exactly the type of defender who can keep Howard from doing what he does best. His sheer size will prevent Howard from overpowering him and getting the deep post position Howard routinely claimed against Ilgauskas and Wallace in the playoffs, and he still moves well enough to keep up with Howard in transition. And if he can use his strength to draw some fouls on Howard at the other end, so much the better.
In six meetings against Howard over the past four years, O’Neal has done a solid job defensively. Howard scored more than 17 points only once, a 21-point effort against the Suns this year, and averaged only 16.7 points. Shaq has done a particularly good job limiting Howard’s shot opportunities, as he attempted just 8.5 field goals per game.
Mind you, Shaq doesn’t need to pitch a shutout. Cleveland just needs more resistance than it showed in the conference finals, when Howard tormented the Cavs for 25.8 points per game on 65 percent shooting to usher them out of the playoffs.
History has shown Shaq can provide that resistance, which is why this deal is a good one for Cleveland now — and would have been an even better one four months ago.”
2.) people keep talking about shaq starting, and that’s fine, but I think he’d be AWESOME with our second unit. You know, the one that consists of Mo Williams jacking up 3 shots a minute and consists of ZERO post play. I say dump it in to Shaq – let him get his touches when Lebron is resting. He can still put the ball in the hole.
Shaq’s health is my biggest concern, not what he brings to the Cavs.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Look, Tsunami, I don’t want to come across like I’m bashing the Shaq deal. If you read my piece yesterday, yeah, I have some questions about it, but I have no doubt it makes the Cavs better.
As for the draft, I’m sorry, but a first round pick is guaranteed money. I don’t get the point of spending guaranteed contracts on players you have no desire to use. Why not sell the pick if you don’t want the player and just want to save $1.6 million?
June 26th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Rock, they don’t pay the first round pick if he stays in Europe. If he turns into a player and comes over, they pay him this year’s rookie scale. If they had taken him in the second round they still wouldn’t have had to pay him until he comes over, but if he became a player he wouldn’t get rookie scale, he would get whatever he could negotiate for.
That’s the whole point of drafting a guy like this and sticking him in Europe. If they had taken someone who wasn’t playing in Europe they would have had to offer him a 2 year guaranteed contract at the rookie scale.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
So, what you’re saying then is that you think Christian Eyenga is a guy who will command more than $800,000 when he comes to the US? I mean, like I said, history will be the judge of this draft pick. If he pans out, then Ferry made a great pick. If he doesn’t, then this was an awful pick.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Ok Im gonna try to piece some things together.
-The Cavs could not trade their 1st round pick this year because then they won’t be able to trade next years.
-They drafted a kid that MAY help in 2-3 years from now (btw Matt… where did you get all that info on some guy that I can bet you never heard of before last night).
-Ferry claims to be trying to win a championship this year.
-At most the pick for a role player (WHICH THE CAVS NEED) would be 1.6mil. At worst, this player goes to D league.
So the Cavs next moves.. (According to some in these comments)
-JJ will magically solve his defensive problems and become the starter this year.
-The Cavs are going to get ‘Sheed, CV, and/or Matt Barnes. Or maybe R Leiws or Ariza or Odom.
The problem with what people are recommending-
The Cavs only have cap space for 1 player under the MLE and can get people to sign the minimum salary. How are are these good players going to get to the Cavs? What is there to trade? They have no cap!
The point-
If Ferry would have gotten Young, Blair, Summer, Brown, or Mills, then went and got Green (who WILL have to become a role player if the Cavs have championship hopes) then the Cavs would at least have 2 young very probable role players. I’m not trying to say the Shaq trade was bad, because I like it, but if you put Blair on a team with Shaq don’t you think he might be able to learn from one of the best big men ever to play? At the very least Ferry would have given the Cavs another potential role player, who could become part of a young core, to put around LBJ and possibly someone next year. To me, Ferry is throwing his stones in the basket for next summer instead of trying to win now. If something goes wrong this year, and the Cavs get bounced in rd. 1 or 2 of the playoffs, then its set up for disaster.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Thank you, bobby. Thank you.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
“So, what you’re saying then is that you think Christian Eyenga is a guy who will command more than $800,000 when he comes to the US?”
No, I’m not saying that at all. Odds are he’ll never come to the US. But any of the other guys they would have had to pay, and I don’t think any of them are worth a 2 year guaranteed contract. There’s dozens of guys in the D League who will sit on the bench and not contribute just as well as the scraps that were available at 30 last night. And they’ll do it cheaper, too.
bobby, the cavs have both the MLE and the bi-annual exceptions this year.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Also, I can’t believe you guys are claiming this means Ferry is planning for the future instead of trying to win now because he didn’t use the pick on one of the scrubs available last night. We’re talking about a bunch of guys that are at best late second rounders in any average draft year.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Ferry’s the one who said this pick was about the future. Not us.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Aren’t you the guy who wrote the column I’m commenting on? These two paragraphs are what I was referring to:
The bottom line is, there’s always room for taking risks and drafting on potential and looking to build for the future. The issue here, though, is that Danny Ferry seemed to be sending conflicting messages. After telling the media earlier that afternoon that the Cavaliers aren’t going to patient and that they want to win now, he went out later that evening and picked for the future.
Nobody here is saying Sam Young was a sure fire prospect. He fell all the way to pick #36 in the draft, so obviously plenty of teams had plenty of questions and concerns about how well Young’s game will really translate to the NBA. The issue here is that the Cavaliers simply made a pick that wasn’t a pick. Eyenga isn’t coming to the NBA any time soon. He’s 20 years old right now, and is likely to stay in Europe for at least a year or maybe even 2, and then he could probably even expect some time in the Development League before he ever sees a roster spot on the Cavaliers.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
jcm, rock wrote that because theres no way to know right now if Young, Blair, Summers, etc would be able to contribute, but if you have them they have a chance to. The Cavs need role players. and by not taking a chance on a guy who may be able to help contribute now, since ferry said he wanted to win now, Ferry is infact giving 2 very opposite messages.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Yes, this was a 66 win team last year. But 66 win teams with old frontcourts get a year older. Infusion of youth becomes a need. So in short, this team DID and still DOES need players. Drafting a longshot project guard was not.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Rockking, what makes you so confident that the Lakers can afford to sign BOTH Odom and Ariza, Bird rights or not? The odds are that they will sign ONE of them…….and that choice is yet to be determined.
That being the case, still does not then address the issue why the would trade out of round 1 (for another second rounder) and pass on Young and Blair; oh by the way so did 30 other teams in round one.
Sorry…….missed again. And what the heck is the uproar over two second round long-shot CBA types anyway? Wait until the roster moves are completed and then take your critical shots.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
The Lakers were only 7th in salary last year, and they are hardly hurting for cash. If they WANT to sign both of them, they will. That’s what “makes me so confident.”
Seriously, dude, ease up on the tone. If you want to debate this in a civil manner, we can, but I’m not going to get drawn into a debate with that kind of attitude.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:01 am
the shaq deal addresses the “this year” issue pretty well, if you ask me. you’ll see the roster fill out w/ the MLE and some filler (e.g. jawad williams), but for the most part the most important contributors from the 66-win team are back…and we’ve added the 3rd team all-NBA center from last year to the mix. i believe that ferry is safe on “making moves to win now”. and upon the deployment of the MLE, he’ll be even further in the clear.
as to the draft pick, is it reasonable to assume that the 30 pick would contribute as much as, or even more, than the 19 pick (hickson) last year? clearly, it’s impossible to say for sure, but i think you have to play the odds in this situation, and the odds that the 30 pick is a major contributor on a championship-level team are low.
which brings me to the intelligence of taking eyenga: if you do the math as to the guaranteed contracts that the cavs have on the books for AFTER the 09/10 season, including $15.8mm for LeBron and $8-10mm for AV, they are literally within ~$1-2mm of the projected cap if you put another max deal (like a bosh) on the payroll. ~$800k or so guaranteed for sam young (or blair or mills) could literally knock out the possibility of the cavs picking up another A+ free agent. i’d say that’s pretty good planning on the front office’s part, and don’t think they won’t let LeBron know about it.
July 11th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
CAVS are missing a starting forward….Andy is perfect for coming off the bench….Starters are…LeBron, XXX, Shaq, Mo, Delonte….back-ups are…Z, Andy, Anthony Parker, Gibson or Kinsey, Joe Smith or whomever…
I see a great starting 5…minus 1 starting forward…
A strong bench…minus Joe Smith unless we keep him…
We need a strong and long wing player who can defend???????
Who will Danny get???
CELTS are strongest starting team of all (all All-Stars starting)…
LAKERS are best team in the NBA…
ORLANDO is still strong although losing HEDO…
CAVS must hope that the Shaq deal works and still must get a long wing player who can defend…
Is Marcus Camby still available???
Louis
Strong CAVS supporter