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

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I'd be surprised if we don't have a top 7 defense.

- We have some good defensive players
- We have some high IQ players who may not be good defenders but can learn to play in a system
- We seem to have a coach who will be able to instill a good defensive philosophy
- We have excellent defensive rebounding
- Last point that doesn't get brought up; we have insane offensive potential. Teams are going to get tired defending us.
 
I think Blatt's defensive system will be the key to their success. Also, dion, Kyrie, Love, and TT's development and comfortability in said system will make or break this season for us. If Blatt can tailor make a system that can focus on covering their inefficiencies, while utilizing strengths(speed, hands, recovery, High IQ) then they will be massively successful. If not, I still dont see us having a lower than top 12 defense, or closer to average.....But thats all it takes when you score 110+ every night. Basically Blatt has up to the postseason to develop a defensive system that can work in the postseason, the regular season will be a wash because their offense will beat 80% of teams.
 
Defense really boils down to two things: effort and consistency. While we know Blatt is known for his offense, many people have mentioned that his Maccabi teams also played great D. The man has won everywhere he has gone. I am not that concerned.

Who on the Spurs, aside from Leonard, is a legitimate shut-down defender? They play great TEAM defense because they have bought into the system and believe in it's results. That is what winning does.

Our defense improved last year with MB at helm. Sure, no one gave two shits anymore mid-season because we started out so slow. That is not the case anymore.

We have one elite (James) defender that will set the tone, three very good (Marion, Varejao, and Delly) defenders that will know their roles once on the court, and a team that expects to win. I truly believe we will see a commitment to defense from KI and Waiters we have never seen before once they actually start WINNING games.
 
Defense really boils down to two things: effort and consistency. While we know Blatt is known for his offense, many people have mentioned that his Maccabi teams also played great D. The man has won everywhere he has gone. I am not that concerned.

Who on the Spurs, aside from Leonard, is a legitimate shut-down defender? They play great TEAM defense because they have bought into the system and believe in it's results. That is what winning does.

Our defense improved last year with MB at helm. Sure, no one gave two shits anymore mid-season because we started out so slow. That is not the case anymore.

We have one elite (James) defender that will set the tone, three very good (Marion, Varejao, and Delly) defenders that will know their roles once on the court, and a team that expects to win. I truly believe we will see a commitment to defense from KI and Waiters we have never seen before once they actually start WINNING games.

Agree with your post, but that Tim Duncan guy is one of the greatest defenders to ever play basketball. He's still not only a legitimate shut-down defender, he also doubles as one of the best weak side shot blockers to this day as well.
 
Cavs have three big men who could potentially all average double doubles at the same time and thats nt even including lebron james.

I can also see this team lead the league in assist. fast break points and three point efficiency.
and then if a an opposing team does somehow manage to clog up the paint and shut down the perimeter you have an arsenal of guys who can kill you from the mid range game.

menawhile on the defense end just ensuring teams arent taking uncontested shots will make it really hard for teams to keep up.
 
Agree with your post, but that Tim Duncan guy is one of the greatest defenders to ever play basketball. He's still not only a legitimate shut-down defender, he also doubles as one of the best weak side shot blockers to this day as well.

I see what you're saying and i agree with you as well. TD is still a very good defender but i wouldn't call him elite anymore. I should've been more clear in referencing the Spurs as they are constructed currently, not necessarily referencing their past play.

My point was that the Spurs still play defense at a high rate without these so called "shut-down defenders and rim protectors."

With the right coach and the right leader setting the tone, we should expect our defensive effort to improve leaps and bounds compared to these past years.
 
Teams better beat us this year as next year I'm not sure teams will be able to.
 
I see what you're saying and i agree with you as well. TD is still a very good defender but i wouldn't call him elite anymore. I should've been more clear in referencing the Spurs as they are constructed currently, not necessarily referencing their past play.

My point was that the Spurs still play defense at a high rate without these so called "shut-down defenders and rim protectors."

With the right coach and the right leader setting the tone, we should expect our defensive effort to improve leaps and bounds compared to these past years.
Duncan is absolutely still an elite defender and rim protector. Even with reduced minutes, he was 5th in blocks per game and fourth overall in defensive rating per basketball-reference. He is a modern marvel and still, incredibly, underrated. Time has taken its toll on his offense, but his defensive presence is still near the top of the league.
 
Teams better beat us this year as next year I'm not sure teams will be able to.
You add in an MLE guy, a player for the TPE, and a player for Haywood. Those 3 things could solve every defensive woe we have.

I mentioned this a long time ago, I don't have any delusion this team will be great on defense, but I think we will see a surprising to most effort level from Kyrie and Love on that end. Defense, is in large part your effort level, these guys finally will be rested enough to try harded, and motivated enough as well.

But if we are in the top 8 defensive teams this year, it will mean two things, Andy didn't miss a substantial amount of time, and LeBron has won DPOY.
 
You add in an MLE guy, a player for the TPE, and a player for Haywood. Those 3 things could solve every defensive woe we have.

I mentioned this a long time ago, I don't have any delusion this team will be great on defense, but I think we will see a surprising to most effort level from Kyrie and Love on that end. Defense, is in large part your effort level, these guys finally will be rested enough to try harded, and motivated enough as well.

But if we are in the top 8 defensive teams this year, it will mean two things, Andy didn't miss a substantial amount of time, and LeBron has won DPOY.

I believe he should win that at least 1 time man. He can defend nearly HOLY FUCKING ALL POSITIONS and still facilitate the WHOLE offence. Things that LeBron does really getting UNDERRATED sometimes.

Look at his MVP opponent: Durant doesn't play D and last year because Wade and Stupid Mario was shit, LeBron had to do all things on offence and take a little bit off in the defence and people getting over him. Hope at least gets the MVP this year. If he gets both MVP and DPOY it would be great
 
You add in an MLE guy, a player for the TPE, and a player for Haywood. Those 3 things could solve every defensive woe we have.

I mentioned this a long time ago, I don't have any delusion this team will be great on defense, but I think we will see a surprising to most effort level from Kyrie and Love on that end. Defense, is in large part your effort level, these guys finally will be rested enough to try harded, and motivated enough as well.

But if we are in the top 8 defensive teams this year, it will mean two things, Andy didn't miss a substantial amount of time, and LeBron has won DPOY.
Yep

Personally I think we just need to be soild. I'm not expecting 04 Pistons D but if we can play soild team D we will be fine.
 
I believe he should win that at least 1 time man. He can defend nearly HOLY FUCKING ALL POSITIONS and still facilitate the WHOLE offence. Things that LeBron does really getting UNDERRATED sometimes.

Look at his MVP opponent: Durant doesn't play D and last year because Wade and Stupid Mario was shit, LeBron had to do all things on offence and take a little bit off in the defence and people getting over him. Hope at least gets the MVP this year. If he gets both MVP and DPOY it would be great
I don't imagine he will win DPOY and MVP. MVP is pretty much a lock. We will very likely have the best record, and be able to cruise there to get it. Throw on even an average LeBron statistical season, and KD has no hope, since voters don't like to give back to back MVP's.

DPOY, he should have won the year Chandler did (2012), but Chandler got the championship love, and the media darling franchise love. He absolutely did not deserve it last year. Now I'm not going to suggest it is impossible for him to win it this year, I expect, with some actual help, he will be a contender for it.

In my mind, LeBron will be great defensively this year, he absolutely has to.

04 Pistons D is out of the question this season. Depending on who we can snag next year, it looks a hell of a lot more possible.
 
And here also is Lowe's latest piece (10/14) where he predicts the Cavs lead the league in points per possession, and could eventually become the greatest offense ever:

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/33-crazy-predictions-for-the-nba-season/

1. Cleveland will lead the league in points per possession.

I’m on a two-year run calling the league’s best offense, and I’m going back East for a bet on a revamped team that has to play Indiana and Chicago a combined eight times. Gulp.

Everything you need to know about the coming season.The Cavs need time to learn David Blatt’s system, which will feature loads of movement on both sides of the floor, lots of tricky screening action, selective post-ups, and Princeton-style elements. Expand the picture to include defense, and the Cavs probably need another big man and a wing player with shooting range to reach their championship-level ceiling.
But this team should be a scoring juggernaut immediately. Their core lineups will include four 3-point shooters, including perhaps the league’s most prolific long-range shooting big man in Kevin Love. All four of those players can work off the bounce if they catch a pass with the defense scrambled, initiating drive-and-kick sequences the Cavs can repeat until they get the look they want.

And the Cavs will scramble defenses. Love is the perfect Blatt big man, and LeBron is the perfect high-IQ floor general to get everyone organized. Love and Kyrie Irving will have to make some sacrifices, and Dion Waiters probably still thinks he should get 20 shots per game. But if the ball moves like it should, everyone will get enough chances.

There will be some spacing issues when Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson share the floor, but the Cavs will figure it out. Add one more cog and a year of seasoning, and these Cavs will have a shot to trump the Steve Nash–era Phoenix teams and produce the greatest single-season offense in league history.

Threats lurk everywhere, though Durant’s injury takes the Thunder out of the picture. The Spurs are a perennial top-five offense. Houston is potent. Golden State has looked extraordinary in the preseason, but two of its games have come against the Lakers, and it’s starting from a lower baseline.

Portland had the league’s best offense over the first couple of months of last season, and it’s bringing back every key contributor. Dallas had the league’s best offense after the All-Star break and figures to be better.

But the bet here is Cleveland.
And another Cavs-related prediction from the piece:

26. Kyrie Irving will get voted into the All-Star game.

This would cost the Cavs a few million, since a second starting nod would trigger the so-called “Derrick Rose Rule” raise for Irving. The field will be stronger, with Rondo and Rose back, John Wall gaining steam, and Wade, the other incumbent starter, set to retake an expanded role. Rose is über-popular and represents the biggest threat to Irving.

But the Cavs are going to be THE story this season, and Irving crept within 70,000 of Wade’s vote total last season.
Zach Lowe is as giddy as we are about this team!
 
He brings up a good point. We should NOT vote for Kyrie to start the all star game.
 

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