Winning > Tanking... All day..

[ajz20]

Why are some acting like this team is now on the verge of making the playoffs? The Cavs are still just a game better than the worst team in the league, and they are tied for the most losses. There's room to win and still land a top-5 pick.

Imagine the board if we were to go on a crazy winning streak at home in the next 3 weeks and BOSTON blew it up and we were less then 4 games out of the 8th spot. Very far fetched, but it be a crazy mb.

 

[Kovah]

This thread is about the Lakers not tanking and winning every game right? I hope so.

 

[6.19.2016]

THIS WILL Not HAPPEN TOO FAR BEHIND BUT with Rondo out with an ACl tear, the 8 seed is going to be 6-8 games under 500 lol
Who is up for a run ?
Cavs Heat first round? :chuckles::chuckles:

"Playoffs?! Playoffs?! You talkin' about playoffs?!?!"

 

[Ruken]

we will have more wins just because the team is gelling but we will still have a top 5 pick I believe and while I love watching the team play well, this is about long sustained success. Really we need one more stud in order to have that otherwise we are stuck in 4th and 5th seed hell.

 

[chuck0609]

Imagine the board if we were to go on a crazy winning streak at home in the next 3 weeks and BOSTON blew it up and we were less then 4 games out of the 8th spot. Very far fetched, but it be a crazy mb.

I was just looking at the standings and thought the same thing. If Kyrie stays healthy, this team can play some meaningful games in March and maybe April.

I've got mixed feelings on this as I really want another high lottery pick and make the playoffs next year while that rookie finds his place in the rotation.

Anyway you look at it, we all see the progress and for the first time in awhile can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that's without #6. There are other FAs available in 2014.

 

[Bill Walton.]

Winning sure is nice..

I love tanking but this is great for the team. It's not about us winning, it's HOW we're winning.

The Portland game left a bad taste in our mouth, so did Jennings game winner. So they fight hard on the road beat Portland.. Then trail by twenty and fight back against a playoff team in our division. This team is learning when they fight together even in tough situations they can win. Confidence is everything in this league. This team is gaining confidence.

 

[AMC]

Winning sure is nice..

I love tanking but this is great for the team. It's not about us winning, it's HOW we're winning.

The Portland game left a bad taste in our mouth, so did Jennings game winner. So they fight hard on the road beat Portland.. Then trail by twenty and fight back against a playoff team in our division. This team is learning when they fight together even in tough situations they can win. Confidence is everything in this league. This team is gaining confidence.

Another reason why the OKC model works. The young guys learn they need to give it their all in every minute of the game because they are the only ones on the team to do it. No veterans to save them.

Just imagine what these guys can do with a few more lower lottery picks to play with them.

 

[wuck]

I deleted some LeBron back and forth. There's a LeBron Safari thread in "Around the NBA" if you want to talk about that.

 

[The Process God]

It's not like Chris Grant likes top-5 picks ... he seems content to keep snagging guys projected to go around #10.

Tristan may have been projected to go around #10, but Dion would have possibly been picked as soon as 5th according to Kings fans who are more familiar with their situation. Also, we did draft Kyrie at #1, and he was projected to go number one, so we fucking loved that. Also, even with the Tristan pick, there were rumors of Grant trying to trade back. Of course Grant would rather have a top 5 pick than a top 10 pick even if they yield the same player simply because it allows them to get the player they want + another asset. Also, according to insider sources (Windy), we wanted MKG, who went 2nd, so Grant definitely would value a top 5 pick in that situation. So that's at least 2 out of 3 guys Grant picked who were truly projected to go top 5.

So yeah.

 

[demonmt]

Everyone claiming that a seemingly slight difference in picks (like between 3-5 and 7-10) isn't a big deal because "so-and-so" was drafted 7-10 and there have been busts in the top five need to take a good hard look at the facts: http://www.82games.com/nbadraftpicks.htm

The odds of drafting a star player drastically drop after #5 (from an average of 67% at a top 5 spots to an average of 31% from 6 to 10). All you are doing is citing statistical anomalies.

While I'm excited that our young talent is developing and performing well, and I appreciate the positive effect that success and winning have on teams' and players' development, we need a legitimate shot at another star-level player. The easiest way, by far, for us to do this is through the draft, specifically through a top-5 draft pick. Sure, we have assets out our ass, but they aren't going to get us a player of similar potential as a top-5 pick without some serious luck and Grant Magic.

 

[Jon]

I disagree. I think LeBron returning is entirely dependent on Miami. LeBron will look at our team and see a 22-year-old superstar in Kyrie Irving who hits big shots and plays his best ball in the fourth quarter. He'll see a defensive and rebounding monster in Tristan Thompson. He'll see a solid cast of young talent and a ton of assets to bring in help via trades or the draft.

Then he'll look at Miami and see if what he still has there is better. If Wade is breaking down, I think he leaves. If Wade sells his soul for basketball immortality like Kobe did, I think he stays.

You seem to be assuming that it's between Miami and Cleveland, that there won't be other teams freeing up cap space again and making a pitch.

One thing not working in our favor is that he's won a championship in Miami and he knows his current teammates a helluva lot better than he knows all the new guys on or that will be on the Cavs by 2014. Coming to Cleveland might be returning home for him, but will it feel like home?

Anyway, until James says otherwise, I'm going to assume he wants what he wanted before and that's to form the best possible team to add to his ring collection ... and if that's the case then the Cavs having elevated themselves up to the 50-win level will be crucial. You can't count on James to follow some convoluted fan logic. If he can join a great team or join a new pair of superstars, *AND* things aren't looking too bright in Miami ... then perhaps he'll split.

 

[Jon]

Tristan may have been projected to go around #10, but Dion would have possibly been picked as soon as 5th according to Kings fans who are more familiar with their situation. Also, we did draft Kyrie at #1, and he was projected to go number one, so we fucking loved that.

And according to Cavs fans Drummond should have gone #4... so what?

I'm talking the mock drafts, and if you go back to the ones that were actually based on what these guys did in school, you won't find Dion anywhere near #4, #5, or even #10.

As for Kyrie, we got him with a #8 pick that wasn't even our own. If you're in the lottery, you can win the lottery.

The idea of trading down and getting the guy you want and extra picks is great, but so far Grant hasn't pulled it off, so it doesn't seem a factor. There are too many things that can go wrong. For instance the Wizards had some interest trading up for Kanter, but he didn't fall to us. The Jazz didn't need yet another PF, but they acted on the perceived value that the Wiz saw.

What we were able to pull off was a trade-up move to get Zeller, and all our additional picks may help facilitate those.

 

[Scholar]

As for Kyrie, we got him with a #12 pick that wasn't even our own. If you're in the lottery, you can win the lottery.

What is it with people getting this wrong? You are the second person this week to be incorrect about where the Clippers pick was before the lottery moved it to number one. It was the 8th pick originally.

 

[Jon]

What is it with people getting this wrong? You are the second person this week to be incorrect about where the Clippers pick was before the lottery moved it to number one. It was the 8th pick originally.

Apparently, we're remembering where that pick was when we traded for it, and not what it became after injecting Mo Williams and Jamario Moon on to the team.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Apparently, we're remembering where that pick was when we traded for it, and not what it became after injecting Mo Williams and Jamario Moon on to the team.

They went on a four game winning streak shortly after trading for Williams. Before that, they had 21 wins over four months. Over the next two, they won 11 games to finish with 32 wins. So really, they won games at almost the exact same clip after the trade as before.