Grantland on the Cavs (2 new pieces on K-Love)

[Cavatt]

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If every Cavs player was half as good as you think they are, we would have beaten the Spurs last year.

He has two blocks in the preseason. And also the funniest airball in a long time.

You convinced me. He's done.

 

[PriceFan14]

This is so great

Stan Van Gundy called a 20 just to stare down Josh Smith for 20 seconds

 

[col63onel]

He's got a decent chance at being right. Marion will be 37 in the spring and Father time is undefeated.

Marion played over 30 minutes a game last year for 76 games. If the Cavs asked him to do that, then I'd worry about Marion being done. But how many games will he even reach 30 minutes? I see him averaging about 20 a game. Even if he gets up to 25 a game, that would almost be a career low for him (was 24.7 as a rook).

As long as they monitor his minutes, which should be easy to do given he's LeBron's backup, he'll be fine, IMO.

 

[Kbiz]

I don't know what games some of you have been watching but Marion hasn't appeared "slow" in a single game. He still rebounds effectively, defends effectively, and gets out in transition.

He's looked more than capable of contributing to this team in an effective way without needing to be involved that much in the offense...

 

[Douglar]

I don't know what games some of you have been watching but Marion hasn't appeared "slow" in a single game. He still rebounds effectively, defends effectively, and gets out in transition.

Sometimes when a player loses it, it doesn't matter if you control their minutes. They just don't got it any more. David Wesley. Enough said.

Anyway, Marion has looked very good so far in preseason. Great hustle & intensity. Isn't trying to do more than he can. Moves well. Looks like he'll be a better "glue guy" than Mike Miller, who for some reason appears to have started walking all stiff and old like my uncle. But it is way early. Some players shake off the rust as the season heats up. Other players wear down as the season moves along. I'm just very happy that I can start worrying about games in May again.

 

[Cavsfan161]

Miller form is a concern for me but saying that his Mins will be used only when he's really needed.

 

[Captain S]

We should just rename this thread the grantland thread

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Sometimes when a player loses it, it doesn't matter if you control their minutes. They just don't got it any more. David Wesley. Enough said.

Anyway, Marion has looked very good so far in preseason. Great hustle & intensity. Isn't trying to do more than he can. Moves well. Looks like he'll be a better "glue guy" than Mike Miller, who for some reason appears to have started walking all stiff and old like my uncle. But it is way early. Some players shake off the rust as the season heats up. Other players wear down as the season moves along. I'm just very happy that I can start worrying about games in May again.

Don't you have to have "it" at one point to be able to lose "it?"

 

[wremy]

Marion has plenty left.. not sure what some of you are talking about...at all

 

[Cavatt]

Marion has plenty left.. not sure what some of you are talking about...at all

I guess he looks older than 20. Seems pretty effective for a bench player. So far Miller and Jones don't look so good, so the fact that Marion is better for less money is great.

 

[kovanovich]

Simmons is also an idiot to say 'blah' to getting Heywood.. he apparently doesn't know the reason we acquired him, because it had nothing to do with him as a player.

I think he is well aware of the contract. But it seems the Cavs had some interest in Haywood as a player as well. I think he is clearly ahead of where any of us thought he would be, for what that's worth.

What I found interesting in Lowe's comments -- and I think he has has said this more than once -- is that he thinks the Cavs will target a wing defender rather than a big with the Bogans TPE.

 

[Douglar]

What I found interesting in Lowe's comments -- and I think he has has said this more than once -- is that he thinks the Cavs will target a wing defender rather than a big with the Bogans TPE.

I see the logic in his thinking.

It is hard to imagine a team would give up a promising, well behaved big man on an affordable contract for the Memphis pick and a trade exception.

In the other hand, if the Cavs need a wing defender so badly that they are willing to give up the Memphis pick and go into the luxury tax, the Cavs could likely find one.

 

[cavsfever]

Zach Lowe with an interesting comment in a longer article on why it's harder to do the Spurs offense than people think:

It’s harder than people might think to play like the Spurs. Today’s Heat without LeBron are better at aping the pass-happy LeBron-era Heat than today’s Cavaliers are with LeBron.8 The Spurs are so good because every cut and screen comes at full speed, with perfect precision. It’s exhausting. The Spurs prize depth and reduced minute loads in part because they understand the physical demands of their offense.
​

And also, a comment on the Cavs D:

7. A Smart Cavs Attack

Count this as both a like and dislike, depending on whether you’re from Cleveland. The Cavs have come out defending even more aggressively than most folks expected, often leaping way out to contain pick-and-rolls on both the middle of the floor and the sideline.

Teams have used that aggression against them, and it can be lethal when opponents designate Varejao’s guy as the first screener. That drags Varejao far from the hoop, leaving Kevin Love as the ground-bound last line of defense:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oXhkZrjTFLQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thompson offers more rim protection, but the Cavs’ spacing gets cramped when Thompson and Varejao share the floor. It’s something to monitor.​

 

[Jack Brickman]

He noted after that comment about LeBron on the Cavs that our offense would certainly become more fluid over time.

 

[cavsfever]

He noted after that comment about LeBron on the Cavs that our offense would certainly become more fluid over time.

Yes agree with that -- wasn't putting it up for that aside about the Cavs, but more for the point about how rotations/minutes/depth are key to handling the physical demands of a motion offense. I hadn't thought about that.