Hey Windy
December 10, 2016
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play/_/id/18248337
* I have done 00.0% of my Christmas shopping at this time.
* Whiteside (not a Windy favorite) got pulled out of the Cavs game last night like 3 minutes into the second half because he was playing poorly.
* Heat had only 8 guys dressed. That's the NBA minimum for guys a team has to have dressed.
* Cavs stepped on the Heat's throat, as they should have.
* Hornets game will be a challenge.
* Next few games will be a challenge for the Cavs.
* Last night was another fantastic performance from Kevin Love.
* Cavs stretching the floor with Love really bothered the Heat.
* Cavs took Whiteside and his shotblocking out of the equation yesterday by stretching the floor.
* Channing Frye is away from the team for a few days as he attends his father's funeral.
* Love had back spasms before the Heat game, was a gametime decision.
* "Love is just having such a fantastic season."
* I still think there is room for growth for Love, because LeBron is getting him great shots.
* There is a high level of comfort now for LeBron with Love and Frye.
* I was at the Knicks game in New York.
* I know the Knicks gameplanned for Channing Frye. But they still couldn't cover him and LeBron was finding him.
* Frye and Love know where to go on the floor, and LeBron knows how to get them the ball in those spots.
* LeBron just keeps getting Frye and Love good perimeter shots over and over again.
* LeBron is averaging 35% from three, which is much better than where he was at last year.
* Love is playing awesome.
* Love is back to the 20/10 guy he was earlier in his career.
* A 22/11 guy (Love) is a max player.
* LeBron said after the game last night that this is the best Kevin Love has played in career.
* Reporters told that to Love, and Love said, basically, I had some good years in Minny also so check the stats.
* Love had like a 26/13 year in Minny.
* The Kevin Love that we're seeing now is the player the Cavs traded for; this version of him.
* Three guys averaging 22+ PPG is terrific.
* TWEETER: Will Love finally be an All-Star in the East?
* I think so, yes. But I have not broken down the list.
* As of today, Love will make the team for sure.
* TWEETER: Are Cavs banking on Kay Felder being a key contributor this season?
* No. They are not.
* I talked about the things I like with the Cavs already, now here are some of the things I don't like with the Cavs right now.
* I'm worried about the Cavs' bench.
* Cavs are not getting anything from Mike Dunleavy.
* Teams are now backing off of Dunleavy (daring him to shoot).
* Richard Jefferson has been ok, but not as good as he was last year.
* Jefferson is not as dynamic as he was a year ago.
* The scouts say that Jefferson has gotten old (since last year), that he's slowed down.
* So, Dunleavy and Jefferson are two wing spots that the Cavs are not getting anything from.
* JR has had a miserable season so far (so another wing that's struggling).
* I think the Cavs will want to get a backup point guard, but if you look at the big picture the Cavs need another athlete at the wing spot.
* Cavs need another athletic wing to be able to match up against the Warriors and succeed in the playoffs.
* Liggins is looking good because he's a live body (young, athletic). Not doing anything special but does provide this dimension.
* Lue has gone through the whole roster looking for guys who can contribute.
* Shumpert is having a fine year. I'd still like him to be more consistent on defense, though.
* Cavs should focus their energy on trying to get a young, live-body, athletic wing player that they could play for 7 minutes against the Warriors.
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* CALLER: Could Norris Cole help out?
* Cole got no good NBA offers this year. He signed in China.
* Cole was cut by his Chinese team. Not sure what's going on with him right now.
* Cavs chose not to pursue Cole.
* Cavs need athletes who can defend the wing. That's their number one priority. Cole doesn't help with that.
* Also, Cole isn't a reliable shooter.
* You'd like to have a point guard who can shoot so as to force the defense to defend the three point line.
* Cavs system is dependent on having five live shooters on the court at the same time to stretch the defense.
* Cole can't help in that regard.
* I think Kay Felder does have a chance in the league.
* When you come to the NBA, you get shocked by the physical differences (from college).
* Also, Felder shocked by the size difference from college players to NBA players.
* Felder may figure it out, but it could take him like 3-4 years to do so.
* Kay Felder is on the Cavs because Dan Gilbert loves him.
* When Gilbert checks on the team, he wants to know how Kay Felder is doing.
* Kay Felder will get a chance to stay on the team because Gilbert wants that.
* But currently, Felder is not getting it done.
* I'm going to tell Cavs fans to worry less about backup point guards, and think more about how to get a 6' 7" or 6' 8" wing player.
* HOST: What is the deal with Cedi Osman?
* Cavs say that there is more interest in Osman than any other of their available assets.
* Osman is playing in Turkey. He is supposedly going to come to the NBA next year.
* Osman shoots great. But he doesn't rebound or pass well.
* Osman is like many European prospects. Excellent shooter, maybe not at talented in terms of NBA physicality and playing the floor game.
* Key with Osman is what could he possibly bring to the Cavs in a trade now.
* My understanding is that Osman's trade value has never been higher.
* I don't think the Cavs can take on much more salary, though, unless they dump some salary money.
* Cavs' payroll is too high.
* So, I think the Cavs would have to, for example, get rid of Mo Williams' contract before they picked up another player.
* Cavs don't have a second-round pick until 2021.
* Cavs don't have a first-round pick they could trade until 2020.
* So, Osman is an asset that might attract some teams to make a deal with the Cavs (since Cavs not have much else to offer right now).
* TWEETER: Do you expect JR to come off the bench when he returns, because Liggins is playing well?
* No, I don't think so. They may bring him off the bench when he first returns.
* I think the Cavs should rest JR as much as possible until he is healthy.
* JR is a starter; he should start. He will be the starter.
* Lue has tried Dunleavy and McRae (searching for help).
* I don't think McRae has played well at all.
* McRae got a good 10-game run in the 8-man rotation, and he just wasn't able to deliver.
* Lue then tried Kay Felder, and that didn't work either. So Lue went to Liggins sort of out of desperation.
* Liggins is on the Cavs because he was the best option they could find on the scrap heap for a wing athlete.
* Wing athletes are not easy to find.
* Liggins has been in and out of the NBA for the last 4-5 years.
* Hopefully Liggins continues to play well, but I don't think you can count on it.
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* HOST: Did the Cavs crush the Raptors confidence in these three games early this season?
* I've spent a lot of time around the Raptors; they are obsessed with the Cavs.
* The Raptors have now lost 7/9 games to the Cavs.
* I think the Raptors have to make a decision about whether they want to stick with this roster or make a trade (to match up with Cavs).
* The Cavs have shut down the Raptors confidence in a big way.
* HOST: Where are the Knicks at? Are they a contender in the East?
* No, they're just another team.
* It was laughable that people were upset regarding the Water Bottle Challenge in New York.
* The thing to be upset about is how bad the Knicks played in that game. Don't worry about the Cavs.
* (Gives David Blatt update; talking about Osman and the Turkish League. The team Blatt coaches in the Turkish League).
* Blatt is making a lot of money, but the team doesn't draw many fans.
* HOST: Why did LeBron seem so touchy when asked about not staying at the Trump hotel in New York?
* I don't think LeBron was happy that the information about the Trump hotel (not staying there) became public.
* Sometimes LeBron wants to get information out to the media, but I don't think this was one of those times.
* LeBron was not alone in not staying at the Trump hotel.
* Most of the Cavs stayed at the Trump hotel.
* The Trump hotel in New York (SoHo) is not owned by Trump
* TWEETER: Could we trade for Jeremy Lin or a big such as Nerlens Noel?
* Lin is out of the picture; he's like the second-best player on the Nets.
* Lin is not available.
* Lin is very important to the Nets' marketing efforts.
* Lin has a man bun. That's big in Brooklyn.
* Lin is very popular with the hipsters in Brooklyn. He's bringing in a lot of fans in Brooklyn. It's impressive.
* Yes, I think the Cavs need another ball handler. But I think their priority is another wing.
* Lin would be great for the Cavs. But it's not going to happen.
* As far as Noel, I think the Cavs are pretty happy with their big men right now.
* Cavs would love to have a better 7' third-string center than Andersen, but you do what you can.
* Frye is having a great season; Tristan is doing what he does. Cavs like him as the starter.
* CALLER: What about PJ Tucker from the Suns as a wing? Could we take on Tyson Chandler's contract as well?
* The Cavs would love to get their hands on PJ Tucker.
* David Griffin loves PJ Tucker.
* Griffin brought in Tucker to Phoenix when Griffin was in Phoenix.
* Griffin has been looking for ways to get Tucker for awhile. He had looked for ways to get Frye for a long time, also.
* Like Tucker, Griffin has a Phoenix connection with Frye as well.
* Tucker is a rough and tumble guy.
* Tucker was in training camp with the Cavs like 7-8 years ago.
* When the Cavs play the Suns, Tucker and LeBron tend to talk to one another. So there seems like a relationship there.
* Tucker is in the last year of his contract at $5M. So he is a potential buyout candidate. And could get traded, possibly.
* Tucker does want to go to a team where he will play, though. Because he has to think of his next contract (needs to showcase himself).
* This is like Joe Johnson last year. He wanted to go somewhere where he could play a lot. Tucker in a similar spot.
* Tucker is a great name for the Cavs.
* Tyson Chandler, though, is not a good fit. He has a lot of money left and he's done as a player.
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* TWEETER: Do you think LeBron wants to be the all-time leading scorer in the NBA?
* I think he'd love to be, but I don't think he's going to get there. It's theoretically possible, though.
* LeBron's son (Bronny) is 12 years old now.
* It's possible LeBron could play with Bronny in the NBA, if Bronny makes the NBA.
* If LeBron is healthy, I see no reason why he can't play at age 39 (when Bronny is 19 and eligible for the NBA).
* I don't think LeBron will keep up the scoring pace to catch Kareem, especially if LeBron stays with the Cavs.
* Because Kyrie is going to score more and more now, and LeBron is likely to taper off in scoring in the time to come.
* The scoring pace that Kareem set was amazing. Not sure LeBron can match that pace.
* But I do think LeBron can be in the top 3 of all-time scorers. That would be amazing.
* TWEETER: Who is the most formidable challenge to the Cavs in the East?
* The Cavs currently have no threat to them in the East.
* I actually think the Bucks give the Cavs the most problems because they are so athletic.
* But, the Bucks won't be able to beat the Cavs when it matters in the playoffs.
* TWEETER: Could Quinn Cook be an option for the Cavs at point guard?
* Cook is an elite scorer, but he can't play point guard and he's not a great defender.
* I think the Cavs need a guy who can defend.
* Cook will be in the NBA this year, though, whether it's with the Cavs or someone else.
* TWEETER: Do you think Westbrook will win the MVP if he keeps up his current level?
* Yes, if he plays like this. But no player has won MVP on a team with less than 50 wins since 1982.
* Usually, MVP goes to one of the best players on one of the 2-3 best teams in the league.
* But, Westbrook could overcome this.
* I like the orange jerseys the Cavs wore last night, but the traditional wine and gold ones are my favorite.
* Check out the Cavs 1980's intro video. It's great. It's all over the place now.
