...a tradition of hope, passion, and misery
This week in the film room, I’m going to look at a prospect who some thought was a candidate for the top pick before the season started. Shabazz Muhammad had a bit of a disappointing season, along with his UCLA Bruin squad.
Still, Muhammad showed that he is a dynamite scorer who will pack some instant offensive punch for whoever selects him next month.
First, as usual, let’s take a look at what others are saying around the web.
To say I was less than thrilled when the Cavs rehired Mike Brown would be an understatement. I loathed this move. The Cavs’ coaching search took less than a week and it ended with them hiring a guy who had already blown playoff series for the franchise.
That’s not to say that I would’ve preferred another year of Byron Scott. I was fine with the Cavs giving Coach Scott his walking papers. More than fine, really. Now, was Byron given a “fair shake”? Most would argue no and I would tend to agree. While it was clear that Byron’s Cavs teams never had playoff aspirations (or even finishing-close-to-.500 aspirations), I do think “not historically bad” wasn’t too much to ask for. Yes, the roster was bad and yes, there were injuries to key players. But those reasons are just arguments for him not to be fired, not arguments for him to keep his job.
From the minute Scott was let go, it was Mike Brown and only Mike Brown. As far as I’m aware, there were few, if any, meetings with other potential coaching candidates. Sure, Gilbert gave a perfunctory call to Phil Jackson, but Phil was never a realistic option. The Cavs had their sights set on Mike Brown and they got him and as we saw from the Chip Kelly debacle, there’s something to be said for that.
But I still didn’t like it. I didn’t like the harkening back to the LeBron-era. I didn’t like the idea of watching that offense again. I didn’t like all the talk of the “LeBron 2014” ramifications. I didn’t like that they seemed to have left many a coaching stone unturned.
In short, I didn’t like that they Grover Cleveland’d it up. It was a letdown.
But less than a month later, I’ve changed my tune. That’s part of the deal as a sports fan: you can rationalize anything.
And I’ve talked myself into Mike Brown. [Read more...]
The Golden State Warriors are in the middle of a thrilling second-round series with the San Antonio Spurs. Rookie Harrison Barnes, the 7th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, has had an increased impact in the postseason at both ends of the floor, averaging 19 points in the series and posting a stat line of 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting and seven rebounds in 39 minutes. Meanwhile, Dion Waiters is in the midst of offseason workouts. The 4th-overall pick by the wine and gold found out yesterday that he joined Barnes on the NBA All-Rookie First Team (and gained more points as well as first-team votes than Barnes) along with Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, and Damian Lillard.
While the media and Cleveland faithful are starting to rally around what they’re watching on their television screens and wish they had Barnes instead, it’s not as simple as that.
Over the next two months, I’ll take a look at some potential draft prospects that could find themselves in wine and gold come the end of June. Last week, I took a look at Maryland center Alex Len. This week, I’m choosing to look into the likely number one pick in this draft, Kentucky power forward/center Nerlens Noel. Noel is a defense-first big man prospect who is currently recovering from a torn ACL suffered in February. With his return not slated for Christmas or later, this certainly complicates, though many expect Noel to remain the draft’s top selection. In this film room, I’ll dig into just how his play may or may not warrant that slot.
First, as we did last time, let’s go around the Web at some various mock drafts and scouting reports to see what they’re saying about Noel. [Read more...]
Over the next two months, I’ll take a look at some potential draft prospects that could find themselves in wine and gold come the end of June. First up, we take a look at Maryland center Alex Len. It was recently announced by Len’s representation that the center will miss the next 4-to-6 months as he undergoes surgery for a stress fracture in his ankle. Prior to that news, many mock drafts had the Cavaliers interested in selecting Len should their pick fall in the 4-6 range. Here, we’ll dive into the film of Maryland’s ACC quarterfinal against North Carolina to see a snapshot of Len’s game. [Read more...]
For my entire archive of The Diff at WFNY, check out this tag. Last week’s edition tackled an aggregate of 60 mock drafts from around the Internet, which obviously didn’t prove that fruitful when the Browns took Barkevious Mingo (projected by only 3 mock drafts). Oh well.
Back in my second-ever version of The Diff, on Jan. 23, I wrote over 3,000 words on six specific franchise comparisons for the current iteration of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Obviously, much has been written here at WFNY and elsewhere since about the hopeful trajectory of the Cavs organization, especially with the re-addition of head coach Mike Brown. Today, I’ll hope to share even more analytics behind previous NBA rebuilds and some statistics behind their variability. [Read more...]
The second verse will not be the same as the first. While it will be easy to cast a wide narrative net of repeat performance or straw-man trope of remarriage and second honeymoons, the Cleveland Cavaliers hiring of Mike Brown to help guide them in their continued quest of rebuilding toward contention is firmly saddled on a horse rooted in continued growth, but also one of change.
There’s been a lot of rumbling ever since the Cavaliers let head coach Byron Scott go last week that it was possible that his predecessor Mike Brown may just get another look at the Cavaliers coaching gig. Some are strongly opposed to bringing a coach back for a second tour of duty, for that reason alone. Some are concerned that the same reasons that Brown was relieved of his job title in Cleveland will creep up again. Still, I’m saying, right here, right now, that I would be on board with a Mike Brown Cavalier reunion tour under the proper terms.
I’ll add at the outset that I hope Brown is not the only candidate that the Cavaliers interview. I’m intrigued in particular by Warriors assistant Mike Malone and Pacers assistant Brian Shaw. I’d give anything to have Phil Jackson come to Cleveland, but despite some reports, I just don’t see that happening. Malone was an assistant under Brown here in Cleveland from 2005-2010, while Shaw was reportedly a finalist back when the Cavs hired Scott in 2010. The problem is with Detroit and Philadelphia having vacancies and a few other teams potentially having openings after the first round of the playoffs is over, the Cavaliers may feel they have to move quickly to avoid losing Brown to a current playoff team. [Read more...]
In my usual half-rapid fire, half-prose form, I’m here today with another edition of The Boots. Again, for those unfamiliar with this feature, I assign loosely defined “Boot Up” or “Boot Down” votes to trending topics in the sports world. Let’s talk basketball again today.
Boot Up: Slotting in at No. 3 – That’s not necessarily what Cavs fans were hoping from the 2012-13 season. Kirk, Scott and Andrew all have written way more eloquently than I possibly could about the franchise’s current situation post-Byron Scott. But for now, I’d like to focus on what it means for the draft. Obviously, slotting in at No. 3 lines up the stars for a possible better pick than later in the lottery, as fans hoped before the year and maybe even as late as the end of February. [Read more...]
With the Cavaliers having two rookies playing prominent minutes, WFNY thought it would beneficial to see how the fresh meat around the league is faring in comparison with the Cavalier rookies. Each week, we’ll have NBA rookie power rankings where we’ll rack and stack the freshman class of the NBA. The rankings will be weighted with the most recent games carrying the most importance, but the whole body of work will be taken into account. Great nicknames, beards, and great celebrations may also play a large factor. [Read more...]
I still remember the day Byron Scott was hired to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I remember driving in my car and thinking to myself, “You know, I think I really like this hire. Even if LeBron does leave, at least the Cavaliers will play an exciting brand of basketball and be fun to watch.”
Three years later, Byron Scott is no longer the coach of the Cavaliers, and I find myself thinking about how refreshing this is because maybe now the Cavaliers will be fun to watch again. I would call that irony, but in Cleveland, we know it as reality.
It’s funny because up until about three weeks ago, I was positive Byron would be back next season. My confidence in the wisdom of that had long since deteriorated, but I felt that in the spirit of fairness, Byron probably was going to get another year to see what he could do with a healthy roster.
Of course, nothing about Byron Scott’s tenure in Cleveland was fair. [Read more...]
They walked over one by one. Clad in sweats and somber faces, the men who comprise the current Cleveland Cavaliers roster were one-man processions, walking from the far corner Cleveland Clinic Courts over to the padded wall that is laced with marketing blocks of the namesake. The Courts themselves are pristine, featuring some of the brightest, whitest light this side of Christmas. But on this day, while the fluorescent bulbs buzzed, the mood was very dark. On a day that should have been a collective sigh of relief given the end of a 24-win season, it was an afternoon laced with more uncertainty.
The team deemed it a “release,” but Byron Scott, the team’s head coach since the circus of 2010, was fired. Releasing is what you do to a fish that was just a bit too small. Firing is what happens when you swing a sword of accountability and opt to slice the lowest of the hanging fruit in hopes that the loss of one piece helps the rest of the tree grow taller. The players, one by one, slowly migrated over to the half circle of media members and spoke of a man lost. They spoke softly. They often looked down as they shared their thoughts. At one point, power forward Tristan Thompson got choked up and had to take a deep breath before continuing on with what Scott meant to his progress as a player 1 . They all claimed to be shocked by the team’s decision, many of them claimed they wish they could have done more to prevent it. A eulogy for a man who was still in the building.
___________________________________
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen me quite often use the #TankStrong hashtag. I’ve written about it before on here, and I’m not ashamed in believing this was part of the plan all along. But, with the Cavaliers loss to the Bobcats in Charlotte last night, that mindset, that strategy, that train of thought is dead. Now, it’s time for the Cavaliers to grab one more core piece high in the lottery and never look back. They must use their other 14 draft picks over the next four years to supplement their current talent. The losing on the court has taken place. Now, it’s up to Chris Grant to get this roster ready to turn the corner. I meant it when I said it last night. #TankStrong is Dead. Long Live #DraftStrong. [Read more...]
Before his Cleveland Cavaliers would take the court against the Miami Heat on Monday night, Byron Scott sat in front of the town’s media horde and addressed items of past, present and future. In looking long term, Scott would say that the next several months set the stage for what is a “big summer” for Kyrie Irving, his All-Star, 21-year-old point guard who had seemingly taken a turn for the worst and has become the subject of scrutiny throughout the league.
It was Tuesday night. Carlos Carrasco and the Indians were getting pounded by the Bronx Bombers for the second straight evening, and the Cavaliers had blown a 20-point fourth quarter lead against the Pacers. It was a “woe is us” type of night on Twitter, and this writer’s body defensively put itself into sleep mode shortly before both games, missing the (live) pain of it all. 1 In that collective frustration where the Cavaliers got roped in with the Tribe in terms of amount of frustration associated with the loss, I was a little surprised. To me, it was comical to compare the losses in terms of equal footing. The book on the Cavaliers’ season has already been sent to the publisher’s. The Indians still have a lot of pages to write on the 2013 campaign. It got me thinking about the constant see-saw of fans for these two organizations buying in and buying out of emotional investment.
___________________________________
Last night, the Cavaliers fell to the New York Knicks 101-91, largely due to the stellar performances of New York’s 1-2 punch of Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith (31 points each). Rather than a traditional recap, I thought I’d take a stab at looking at some of the crazy cross-matchups that occurred in this game’s, primarily centered around Anthony playing the power forward position for the Knicks. [Read more...]
A day after the Cavaliers blew a fourth quarter 20 point lead to the Pacers (then 48-29), the Cavs returned home to take on the 26-52 Detroit Pistons. The Cavs had lost five straight games to the Pistons, including all three match-ups this season. Not to spoil the surprise, but they didn’t get the job done on Wednesday either.
Coming out of the first half down 4 points, the Cavaliers closed the gap and took a 1 point lead into the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving, after struggling a bit in the first half, scored 10 points and dished out 3 assists in the period. The teams traded baskets and the lead until Will Bynum hit 3 consecutive shots and put the Pistons up 4 with six minutes to play.
That’s when the Cavaliers employed a new defensive strategy.
Detroit’s rookie center Andre Drummond is having a good first season, but not from the free throw stripe. Entering the game, Drummond was hitting 34% of his free throws. At the six minute mark, Drummond had made 3 of his 5 free throws in the game. With the Pistons already in the bonus, Byron Scott decided to employ the hack-a-Drummond strategy until the two minute mark when an intentional foul would mean free throws plus possession. For most of the next four minutes, the Cavaliers grabbed Drummond as soon as the ball reached half court.
Did the strategy work? Well, in a way yes. Drummond made half of his remaining free throws, hitting 6 out of 12. In that time, the Cavaliers regained the lead. With a 2 point lead at the three minute mark the Cavs played normal defense and watched as Bynum drained a three. This sent the Cavs back to fouling Drummond. [Read more...]
During the NCAA championship game, an idea came to me and it took over my thoughts about basketball over the ensuing couple of days. With all the talk of zone defense in the college game, I was left thinking about just how silly it is to reward defensive players for “taking” charges.
I know it’s sometimes hard to remove yourself from the reality of the world where taking charges created half of Shane Battier’s career. 1 Just for a second try to step outside yourself and everything you’ve come to know about the game and consider this. The game of basketball found a way to reward any player for impeding the progress of what could be an athletic move toward the hoop. The game has decided to reward that player whether they’re athletic or not. The game rewards that player not for making a superior play to steal the ball or block a shot, but merely by anticipating a move and becoming a non-moving impediment. [Read more...]
___________________________________
The Cleveland sports scene has managed to take an otherwise unifying bond and turned it into a polarizing chasm of considerable proportions. As fans of the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers, Clevelanders experience every bump, every The, together—we celebrate the occasional win, and collectively grieve through the latest loss. But as the Browns offseason wraps up and the Indians’ regular season just begins, it is the Cavaliers who have provided the most hand-wringing and polarization.
While it can be reasonably assumed that all Cavalier fans have an identical ultimate goal, the avenue best taken can be debated. As the NBA Draft nears, fans can discuss who would be the best piece for Chris Grant to add to the puzzle. But as the losses pile up—many of which have been after 20-point leads—the Cavaliers are forcing fans to take sides, each one feeling that they are fighting for the greater good.
I’ll be honest. Until Jason Lloyd’s “Scott’s seat may not be safe” article and the debacle that was Wednesday’s game versus Brooklyn, I hadn’t been paying close attention to the day-in, day-out happenings of the Cavaliers. I knew that they were in a bit of a free fall, but that’s not entire surprising given both Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving were missing time due to injuries. Even though I wasn’t a huge Byron guy, it hadn’t even occurred to me that Byron Scott’s job could actually be in jeopardy. Everyone knows they’re tanking, no?
Hell, before Byron’s Teflon coating wore off last week, the biggest late-season story of this Cavaliers season has been whether or not the Lakers can make the playoffs 1 . Instead of watching horrible losses to the Rockets or Hornets (and really guys, you lost by 20 to the freaking Hornets?), I’ve spent these last few weeks following the Lakers and hoping they can hold off Utah and (suddenly hot) Mavericks for that final Western Conference playoff spot. If the Lakers can find a way to sneak in, the Cavs would be well positioned to have a monster offseason 2 . I was happily biding my time waiting for the draft lottery (Tuesday, May 21st!) and wondering if any of these people I watched (for the first time) in March Madness were any good.
But now that the Cavs had a gut wrenching collapse against Heat, followed it up with a loss to the Celtics in which they gave up a game winning layup, and suffered through a double digit losing streak that ultimately culminated with the non-competitive laugher versus Brooklyn, people are (finally?) starting to question Byron Scott and all of my focus is firmly back on happenings at The Q.
Let’s see what’s going on, shall we? [Read more...]
___________________________________
WFNY Podcasts
