Chris Parker/Cleveland Scene answers your questions

Everyone go follow Chris immediately. I know I will be reading every single one of his stories now that I've read the last couple.

It's the kind of info we all clamor for.

Chris Parker said:

In the press room it's first in first served, in the locker, the cameras go in first if i'm not mistaken, and then others file in quickly after I don't crowd or run. but even when I get in quick it seems like there's 10 ppl there already waiting around LeBron. Some of it is me too, since I sometimes don't book immediately out after the presser but stay to have a couple words with Blatt. He's a lot looser w/o the cameras on.

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Great stuff Chris, thanks so much for signing up and letting us ask you some questions.

Chris Parker said:

I think since then it's gotten better. They're both obviously great basketball minds, but if you can imagine two great songwriters trying to figure out how to write a song. For the first while the one or the other is taking he lead - like a dance, but after a while they start to dance together. I think that began to happen after the streak got going and it's not waned. When they saw how they could win so easily, that instilled a lot more faith LOL

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Here is an Atlantic article called "The Power of Two" that delves into that exact topic. Creative pairs > lone genius. Explores Lennon and McCartney and how different they are. I've long thought the comparison could be applicable to Blatt and LeBron and was excited to see what the two of them could come up with.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/06/the-power-of-two/372289/

iamacavalier said:

Do you think that part of the cavs problems with Love is that there are only a few guys who can/will pass into the post? Irving especially seems to struggle at this.

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Another good point. I think they do a little, which is what made LeBron's comment so wildly disengenuous ("all he has to do is go down there and demand it") -- but I also think some of this IS on Love. And naturally so. When LeBron went to Miami his usage went way down. He deferred to Wade. it was Wade's team even though he was LEBRON. Love, poor guy, is the third best guy on the team, and I think he knows that. So he's doing what he can because I think he also realizes that James Worthy did pretty well for himself w/o playing much defense. [jk- or am I?]

But you're right Irving is not a great passer. And I don't even think it's willingness. he's just never had to thread a lot of passes. I'm hoping - -and feel pretty confident -- that with time that part of his game will progress -- but does it need to? Kyrie's actually almost better as a Pistol Pete type off guard. If I felt JR smith could finish I would be comfortable to see him initiate more offense because he's a very good passer, gets the ball into the post and is good at forcing the P&R defender to commit. I liked the sets with him Lebron and Love strongside, Ky w/s

I think you'll see a lot more Love in the post and at the elbow with weakside picks and off the ball baseline cuts come playoff time when halfcourt sets get REALLY dissected by opponents. I think Blatt knows he has an advantage if they haven't seen all your options out of a particular set and is playing it close to the vest

Damien O'Connel said:

Everyone go follow Chris immediately. I know I will be reading every single one of his stories now that I've read the last couple.

It's the kind of info we all clamor for.

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I'll consider it. I followed Chris for the first part of the year, but looking at the butthole picture too often was too much. Dead serious.

Chris: Any thoughts on the LeBron/Love dynamic? As an outsider looking in, I haven't been concerned very much. It has felt to me that LeBron is just trying to get Love to fully "dial in" for the playoff drive. Do you think there is any long-term type of issue brewing here?

Thanks for joining RCF, also. As you can see, many people here appreciate your work. I love the questions you ask Blatt and I also like that you don't seem to take yourself overly seriously.

Chris said:

If this is really Chris Parker...

Can you let Fedor know we all hate him?

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On one level I'd like to, but it's really the shrunken head coming out of my neck (Ref: How to Get Ahead in Advertising, GREAT film)...

There's this song by X called "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts" where the chorus goes: The facts we hate, we'll never be going the road everybody yelling hurry up hurryup, but I'm waiting for you, and I must go slow, and I must not think bad thoughts what is this world coming to?

Everyone is at a different spot in a winding road to self-acutalization and better personhood. There's a lot of backsliding involved in this road. So I try not to have a lot of judgement when I can help it, but I guess if you step to me I won't hesitate to let you know honestly what I think.

I think Chris Fedor really wants people to like him, which is on one hand makes it worse and on the other hand might be part of the problem.

I hope this was suitably inscrutable.

LeShaq said:

Chris: Any thoughts on the LeBron/Love dynamic? As an outsider looking in, I haven't been concerned very much. It has felt to me that LeBron is just trying to get Love to fully "dial in" for the playoff drive. Do you think there is any long-term type of issue brewing here?

Thanks for joining RCF, also. As you can see, many people here appreciate your work. I love the questions you ask Blatt and I also like that you don't seem to take yourself overly seriously.

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Personally I really love the banter between Chris and Blatt in the postgame interview. Some have said Blatt is quite surly to the media but for the most part I feel he at least started off polite and then when certain media seemed to be trying to get him in hot water with their style of questioning, he kind of started to push back.

Chris I would be curious what your thoughts are on K Love's back situation and how you think Blatt/K Love will handle the situation and how you would handle it if you were the head coach?

theSTEREO. said:

I'll consider it. I followed Chris for the first part of the year, but looking at the butthole picture too often was too much. Dead serious.

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at least you weren't sickened by the handlebar 'stache.....

Paul said:

Personally I really love the banter between Chris and Blatt in the postgame interview. Some have said Blatt is quite surly to the media but for the most part I feel he at least started off polite and then when certain media seemed to be trying to get him in hot water with their style of questioning, he kind of started to push back.

Chris I would be curious what your thoughts are on K Love's back situation and how you think Blatt/K Love will handle the situation and how you would handle it if you were the head coach?

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This is so cool. You guys have great questions and I'm so gratified to hear so many people who really think about the dynamic of the team and not just the meme du jour. Honestly sitting in the press room sometimes you get the impression there are a lot of dullards among the fans. Now I realize they aren't fans at all!! No wonder their questions are so perfunctory!

(Cont.)

Paul said:

Personally I really love the banter between Chris and Blatt in the postgame interview. Some have said Blatt is quite surly to the media but for the most part I feel he at least started off polite and then when certain media seemed to be trying to get him in hot water with their style of questioning, he kind of started to push back.

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I agree, on both points. Love the Chris/Blatt banter, and if I were Blatt I probably would have done the same thing had I been treated similarly by certain elements of the media.

I like that Blatt doesn't suffer fools gladly. I also like his confidence.

@Chris Parker The biggest issue I have with NEOMG is the influence they carry, and how little they respect it.

To control the media is to control the mind. And for them to be focused on how close of friends LBJ/Love are rather than our PnR coverages, rotations, offensive sets etc. is doing their readers a disservice.

But in the TMZ era where the majority of the population thrives on inconsequential drama, what can you expect....

EDIT: But that's assuming they COULD analyze the game at an average level...which I seriously doubt.

Paul said:

Personally I really love the banter between Chris and Blatt in the postgame interview. Some have said Blatt is quite surly to the media but for the most part I feel he at least started off polite and then when certain media seemed to be trying to get him in hot water with their style of questioning, he kind of started to push back.

You have to remember the timing too. They had just won like 8 of 10, were looking good, had gotten past the early ugly part, and then the injury and they were on him like fresh meat. No allowances that maybe losing a big on a small team was kinda a big thing. But no perspective so I think he felt treated unfairly and after a few weeks of that I think his tongue might have gotten a bit sharper and his patience shorter.

Chris I would be curious what your thoughts are on K Love's back situation and how you think Blatt/K Love will handle the situation and how you would handle it if you were the head coach?

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The Kevin Love back situation is an elephant in the room.

It's impossible to know what the real situation is. I'm sure I'm not alone in seeing him occasionally - suddenly - start going up and down the floor really stiffly. This has compromised his game I think and is responsible somewhat for the lack of post. It's mostly that you can't have two penetration/pick and roll guys running plays with someone locked into the post. indeed, the very idea of the pick and roll is to take the center away from the basket.

So I am suspicious that they might be maintaining a lower level for K-Love to keep him from taking a pounding before the playoffs. But that said, most of the usage is just that LeBron and Kyrie are still learning to pass to him. LeBron is pretty comfortable, but it you watch the Kyrie & Love Pick & rolls -- several months ago I did like an entire game of them -- up until recently they weren't really effective. Since the all-star break we've seen a lot more Love picks on LeBron and Kyrie.

I think it took time for them to be comfortable and that if you look at the effectiveness it's gotten better as time has gone on.

I think we all know in our hearts that Love is only one hard fall / bad back spasm from missing a playoff game or more. I wonder how much that plays into Blatt's mind w/r/t Jones. I don't think he intends to play JJ a lot -- he's a real defensive liability. Teams have started posting him up as soon as he comes in. But I think he wants to be ready because there is a real concern about Love's back and it's really hard to know how much that's paranoia and how much it's legitimate concern on the Cavs part. hard to know and I can only speculate on the same things you see....

@Chris Parker thanks for all the insight, really helpful stuff. Can you stay with us a while? It's really fun here after a loss.

LeShaq said:

Chris: Any thoughts on the LeBron/Love dynamic? As an outsider looking in, I haven't been concerned very much. It has felt to me that LeBron is just trying to get Love to fully "dial in" for the playoff drive. Do you think there is any long-term type of issue brewing here?

Thanks for joining RCF, also. As you can see, many people here appreciate your work. I love the questions you ask Blatt and I also like that you don't seem to take yourself overly seriously.

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Good for you for not falling for the daily soaps. It's such a wild non-story it's sorta hard to know where to begin. First, everyone still remembers what a raging asshole Jordan was, right? That didn't seem to stop them from winning. how about Kobe/Shaq?

Second, they're two such different ppl, and 3, let's call a spade a spade, Love is a little bit of a loner and in the past has been a tad misanthropic. Look at the press. But since coming here he's been nothing but professional about the whole thing, and that's kind of the sad thing. it's like they keep asking him questions while he always gives the "right" answer and still this persists...