2023-2024 Off-Season Thread II

[scene42]

Did Garland throw a lot less lobs to Allen this past year? I feel like 2 years ago it was a staple play in the offense. Did teams figure it out?

It’s possible there was a significant drop off in lobs to Allen. Garland/Mobley were the third highest assist combo in the league last season while Garland/Allen didn’t even crack the top 20, so Mobley became the valve.

 

[CavsKermit]

As long as JBB respects spacing.. if he doesn't--and I have already lost all faith in him--I am hoping the FO steps in before he burns it down.

I mean the F.O. kind of pulled a Billy Bean from Moneyball on him. There's only three players on the roster who can't shoot now (maybe 4 with Rubio). So long as he doesn't start Okoro with Allen & Mobley, you'll always have three shooters on the floor.

 

[roozy]

Not a fan of Brown. Don’t want a head case who can’t dribble / create, even if he is a plus defender. However, I am not convinced that Garland is a winning playoff basketball player. He seems to be very negatively impacted by defensive physicality. Maybe he can improve in that area.

My wish is that the Cavs figure out a way to get shooting at center. The only other option is that Mobley becomes a plus 3-point shooter and I don’t see that happening.

I want to see the added shooting next year before I get too negative but it feels like we have some bad fits that experience alone won’t fix.

Garland mastering that CP3 midrange game would alleviate a lot of that, a shot he can get off anywhere.

 

[Jscc]

I think that's a pretty fair criticism.

DG came into the league kind of chubby and weak. He needed a complete body re-composition, which he has been doing. You can see his bodyfat reducing while his lean mass increases in his offseason to offseason photos.

At his size and strength, there's not much he can do about translatable strength until that LBM is where it needs to be. And it's hard to build meaningful LBM during the regular season.

 

[CavsKermit]

It’s possible there was a significant drop off in lobs to Allen. Garland/Mobley were the third highest assist combo in the league last season while Garland/Allen didn’t even crack the top 20, so Mobley became the valve.

I don't understand how people thought that we'd add Mitchell, with his usage, and there wouldn't be any drop off at all.

 

[Benway]

I mean the F.O. kind of pulled a Billy Bean from Moneyball on him. There's only three players on the roster who can't shoot now (maybe 4 with Rubio). So long as he doesn't start Okoro with Allen & Mobley, you'll always have three shooters on the floor.

This is exactly what I was thinking.

 

[CavsKermit]

Not a fan of Brown. Don’t want a head case who can’t dribble / create, even if he is a plus defender. However, I am not convinced that Garland is a winning playoff basketball player. He seems to be very negatively impacted by defensive physicality. Maybe he can improve in that area.

My wish is that the Cavs figure out a way to get shooting at center. The only other option is that Mobley becomes a plus 3-point shooter and I don’t see that happening.

I want to see the added shooting next year before I get too negative but it feels like we have some bad fits that experience alone won’t fix.

He's the only reason we won a playoff game.

 

[godfather]

I don't understand how people thought that we'd add Mitchell, with his usage, and there wouldn't be any drop off at all.

People also forget, Garland got injured early in the year, and it took time for them to mesh together.

I think another year, we will see them play much better with one another. Mitchell has voiced how important it is to not inhibit his game.

Mitchell really is a good dude, and just wants everyone to do well, and win. Another guy we need to cut some slack.

I still believe in our big 3. Mobley, Garland, and Mitchell. It's better and more promising than a lot of other big 3s in the league. Breaking it up shouldn't be an option.

 

[RedBlackAttack]

Garland mastering that CP3 midrange game would alleviate a lot of that, a shot he can get off anywhere.

My guy Darius just has to get more aggressive in hunting his own shots, period. Agreed that a CP3-level midrange game would take him to All-NBA heights, but I'd just be happy to see his 3-pt attempts go from 6 to 10+ per game.

If he wants to add an efficient 15-18 ft pullup to that shot profile, all the better.

The thing I love about Garland, his unselfishness, is something opponents sometimes lean on to make him a more predictable and easily defended player than he should be. Don't get me wrong -- he has come a long way in this department already. We had to beg him to take open shots in his first year and it didn't really start to click with him until late in his second season that this was the way to open his game up.

Now, he needs to go from willing shooter/scorer who wants to create to active shooter/scorer who bends defenses, forces them to commit. That is really when his playmaking talents will blossom and this team takes a big step.

We can still be good with Darius picking his spots, especially now with more spacing on the roster, but there are two things needing to happen before this Cavs team becomes a real threat in the conference -- Garland's aggression and Mobley's offensive growth.

Either one puts us into contention. Both take it to the next level.

 

[shoes22]

I consider Garland untouchable along with Mobley. I'd move Mitchell 10 times out of 10 before I'd move Garland, even though Mitchell is arguably the best SG in the league and in his prime. I just think Garland's potential is that high.

 

[godfather]

I consider Garland untouchable along with Mobley. I'd move Mitchell 10 times out of 10 before I'd move Garland, even though Mitchell is arguably the best SG in the league and in his prime. I just think Garland's potential is that high.

Unless The Spurs were crazy and wanted to move Wembanyama. We know that's not happening.

I'd only move Mitchell if he informs us he won't re-sign, and that would be a tremendous blow to this franchise IMO.

Him re-signing has to be top priority.

 

[NMCav]

There have been some “whispers” this week that Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen may be more available via trade than the team is letting on, says Stein. Allen was an All-Star in 2021/22 and had another solid season in ’22/23, but struggled to make an impact during Cleveland’s first-round playoff loss to New York.

Stein's Latest: Mavs, Thybulle, J. Allen, Maxey, Powell

In addition to their previously reported interest in Grant Williams, the Mavericks have their eye on another restricted free agent, …

www.hoopsrumors.com

Given that Marc Stein was the first who said Strus to Cavs was likely to happen. I have to wonder if we are moving allen. Who trades for him and also what do we get back.

 

[godfather]

I don't see them trading Allen given the moves they made, at least for now. I've been very vocal they should consider trading Allen. I don't think the timing is now though. You keep him, and wait around the deadline. You'll get better value then anyways. And see if we need to move him, and/or we can get something we really want for him.

I think you got see how the team co-exists for now. They aren't in position where they MUST move him this second. I think the Cavs are keeping their biggest trading asset, one they'd be willing to part with.

Stein may not be wrong, they may be open to moving him, I'd be stunned if it happens before the season starts though.

 

[godfather]

All-NBA Jaylen Brown's first order of the NBA offseason: learning to dribble a basketball.

Is it possible to teach this dumb ass, when you're trying to cross someone over, the ball isn't supposed go off the other players shoe? It's not even like he did it once, he did it multiple times. He has no idea where the ball goes when he puts it on the floor.

 

[cabs]

I consider Garland untouchable along with Mobley. I'd move Mitchell 10 times out of 10 before I'd move Garland, even though Mitchell is arguably the best SG in the league and in his prime. I just think Garland's potential is that high.

I think Garland has more impact on winning with our roster set up despite Mitchell being the 'better player'