Mock Offseason

[AvonCavsFan]

I cave...I'll play:

I like a lot of this one...a few modications:

Re-signed: Alonzo Gee (3 years, 11 million), Donald Sloan (1 year minimum), Lester Hudson (1 year minimum), Samardo Samuels (1 year minimum)
Let go: Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Manny Harris, Semih Erden, Luke Walton (Buyout)
Drafted: Brad Beal (5), Jeff Taylor(20), Crowder (35) I traded up to get Taylor--and I love Crowder--tough kid who can D up at least 3 spots.)
Free Agents Signed: Omer Asik (5 years, 30 million...based off of what Marcin Gortat got from the Magic...#'s are eerily similar), Ersan Ilyasova (4 years, 28 million...I think he gets $7+Mil), Batum (5 years $45 Million)

2012-2013 15 man roster:
Name (Age)
PG: Kyrie Irving (20)/Donald Sloan (24)/Lester Hudson (28)
SG: Brad Beal (19)/Jeff Taylor (20)
SF: Batum(23)/Alonzo Gee (25)/Crowder (22)/Omri Casspi (24)
PF: Ersan Ilyasova (25)/Tristan Thompson (21)/Samardo Samuels (23)
C: Omer Asik (26)/Anderson Varejao (30)

I love the defensive potential of this group. Guys who can play multiple positions. We can go big, we can go small. And tons of great floor spacers.

[Czvosec]

I like a lot of this one...a few modications:

Re-signed: Alonzo Gee (3 years, 11 million), Donald Sloan (1 year minimum), Lester Hudson (1 year minimum), Samardo Samuels (1 year minimum)
Let go: Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Manny Harris, Semih Erden, Luke Walton (Buyout)
Drafted: Brad Beal (5), Jeff Taylor(20), Crowder (35) I traded up to get Taylor--and I love Crowder--tough kid who can D up at least 3 spots.)
Free Agents Signed: Omer Asik (5 years, 30 million...based off of what Marcin Gortat got from the Magic...#'s are eerily similar), Ersan Ilyasova (4 years, 28 million...I think he gets $7+Mil), Batum (5 years $45 Million)

2012-2013 15 man roster:
Name (Age)
PG: Kyrie Irving (20)/Donald Sloan (24)/Lester Hudson (28)
SG: Brad Beal (19)/Jeff Taylor (20)
SF: Batum(23)/Alonzo Gee (25)/Crowder (22)/Omri Casspi (24)
PF: Ersan Ilyasova (25)/Tristan Thompson (21)/Samardo Samuels (23)
C: Omer Asik (26)/Anderson Varejao (30)

I love the defensive potential of this group. Guys who can play multiple positions. We can go big, we can go small. And tons of great floor spacers.

Taking nothing away from this roster, I actually like it (although I wouldn't bring back Hudson, Sloan, or Samuels, and I'd hope they can move Varejao during the draft), I just don't see the need to go out and use all that cap space this summer. Adding up the FA signings and draft picks, that's $30 mil being spent this summer. I realize they have to reach a salary floor, but Baron's salary still counts toward that floor. Does the team really want to sign long-term deals with Asik, Ersan, and Batum and hope they can live up to them?

Having cap space isn't a bad thing. It provides flexibility. Much rather have that then $22 million a year worth of potential.

[BimboColesHair]

Hibbert will be more expensive. But by your own admission the team you articulate won't compete. In my opinion, centers and point guards take the longest to reach true potential. Kyrie, like Paul, is very unusual to come in and become the team centerpiece with just one partial college year under his belt. But if we rely on an eighteen year old center to power us into the finals we are looking at three years down the road, IF he pans out, which is a fifty fifty thing. I am arguing that we target Hibbert because he is the most accomplished in real numbers starting center other than Dwight. I also think we are drafting late enough, that neither Davis nor Drummond will be available, meaning we are likely to get a wing of some kind.

Hell with Scott coaching the way he is, this line up would make to the second round:

Kyrie/Hudson
Beal/Boobie
Gee/Assfingers
AV/Samardo
Hibbert/ Tristan

Don't get hung up on the bigs listed positions, because you could play them in just about any combination of center and power forward depending on the match ups. The weakest part of that line up is Gee, and we have three picks to find that guy. My personal favorites assuming Beal or any two is selected with our best pick, as opposed to Barnes or Jones, are Orlando Johnson, or Draymond Green.. But there are quite a few and arguments for many of them. The best thing about Gee, is that. I am ok with him at the 2 or the three. So if we do wind up with Barnes or Jones, you have pretty much the same result, but it would take an extra year to mature maybe..

I'm not arguing against Hibbert, I'd love to get him on the team, but it just isn't a realistic option in my opinion and I wanted my off season to be as realistic as possible. I see no possible way that Indiana refuses to match any offer made for Hibbert, therefor I think Asik is a much more reasonable target (not to mention the F.O. has tried a few times to acquire him through trades, so I know interest is there). And the team you have there would easily make it to the playoffs, as long as everyone stays healthy.

[FCK_LBJ]

For me, depending on where we pick and whos taken, get barnes(i like his game) or beal.

If we get barnes then with our sencond 1st round pick, you pick someone like Fab Melo, then pick up Eric Gordon(hopefully) in free agency.

if we pick beal then pick moe harkless (good body) with our second 1st i would be happy. also with the beal situation, you sign someone like Dragic from the rockets in free agency

[AvonCavsFan]

Taking nothing away from this roster, I actually like it (although I wouldn't bring back Hudson, Sloan, or Samuels, and I'd hope they can move Varejao during the draft), I just don't see the need to go out and use all that cap space this summer. Adding up the FA signings and draft picks, that's $30 mil being spent this summer. I realize they have to reach a salary floor, but Baron's salary still counts toward that floor. Does the team really want to sign long-term deals with Asik, Ersan, and Batum and hope they can live up to them?

Having cap space isn't a bad thing. It provides flexibility. Much rather have that then $22 million a year worth of potential.

Really,this is more for fun than anything. I view a team as a puzzle where you can get more than the sum of the parts if the pieces fit together. I don't think this has any chance of happening..but it gives an idea of what I think a contending team could look like.

I would have no problem tying the cap money into these players if I though they could get us a team that can contend, which I do if I am right about them. I personally think that is a team that could be a contender in 2 years, because I think it is a better version of the Bulls.

Asik+AV> Noah+?
Ersan+TT=Boozer+Gibson ---Gibson is a very good defender..I think TT has higher defensive upside than him though..Ersan is a great rebounder and can space the floor to the three point line--and he is a better defender than Boozer in my opinion
Batum+Gee+Crowder=Deng+Brewer
Beal+Taylor>Rip+Korver
Irving (in 2 years)= OR > Rose (I know a lot my not agree with me on this--but Irving is a MUCH better shooter, so defending him will be harder than defending Rose--with Rose you pack the paint and live with him shooting threes--I don't think teams will be able to do that with Irving)

Most on this board are about "stars". To me "stars" don't win championships. Defense,rebounding do. The Bulls minus Rose throttled the Heat last week. It starts with having a very strong interior D--Asik, AV and TT would be very strong. Then having athletic wings in Batum, Gee, Crowder, Beal and Taylor--all can D it up--PLUS all of them can hit the open three ball to space the floor for our creator in Irving.

The funny thing is the Cavs HAD the right model with our team that made the finals. And I am tired of hearing about how we got swept and were the worst team in finals history. Fact is we were two shots away from going back to San Antonio tied 2-2. And that was with Lebron not being able to hit the broad side of a barn up to that point.

We had a Stud D, great rebounding team and a superstar to get his teammates and himself good shots. If we would have let that team grow more and tweaked it (imagine if the Lebron that could make a jump shot played in that series?), we were on the right path in my opinion. Instead we traded D for O over and over again--which killed our identity and our team eventually. That and we got very very very unlucky on quite a few things. We would have easily beat Orlando with a healthy Big Ben-our team that year with him on the floor was one of the best teams of all time in advance metrics. That TEAM was more than the sum of its parts.

[Czvosec]

Really,this is more for fun than anything. I view a team as a puzzle where you can get more than the sum of the parts if the pieces fit together. I don't think this has any chance of happening..but it gives an idea of what I think a contending team could look like.

I would have no problem tying the cap money into these players if I though they could get us a team that can contend, which I do if I am right about them. I personally think that is a team that could be a contender in 2 years, because I think it is a better version of the Bulls.

Asik+AV> Noah+?
Ersan+TT=Boozer+Gibson ---Gibson is a very good defender..I think TT has higher defensive upside than him though..Ersan is a great rebounder and can space the floor to the three point line--and he is a better defender than Boozer in my opinion
Batum+Gee+Crowder=Deng+Brewer
Beal+Taylor>Rip+Korver
Irving (in 2 years)= OR > Rose (I know a lot my not agree with me on this--but Irving is a MUCH better shooter, so defending him will be harder than defending Rose--with Rose you pack the paint and live with him shooting threes--I don't think teams will be able to do that with Irving)

Most on this board are about "stars". To me "stars" don't win championships. Defense,rebounding do. The Bulls minus Rose throttled the Heat last week. It starts with having a very strong interior D--Asik, AV and TT would be very strong. Then having athletic wings in Batum, Gee, Crowder, Beal and Taylor--all can D it up--PLUS all of them can hit the open three ball to space the floor for our creator in Irving.

The funny thing is the Cavs HAD the right model with our team that made the finals. And I am tired of hearing about how we got swept and were the worst team in finals history. Fact is we were two shots away from going back to San Antonio tied 2-2. And that was with Lebron not being able to hit the broad side of a barn up to that point.

We had a Stud D, great rebounding team and a superstar to get his teammates and himself good shots. If we would have let that team grow more and tweaked it (imagine if the Lebron that could make a jump shot played in that series?), we were on the right path in my opinion. Instead we traded D for O over and over again--which killed our identity and our team eventually. That and we got very very very unlucky on quite a few things. We would have easily beat Orlando with a healthy Big Ben-our team that year with him on the floor was one of the best teams of all time in advance metrics. That TEAM was more than the sum of its parts.

I think you are making a lot of assumptions, and reaching a quite a few things, but those are just my opinions. Who am I to discredit your thoughts?

[Czvosec]

Double post by mistake

[AvonCavsFan]

I think you are making a lot of assumptions, and reaching a quite a few things, but those are just my opinions. Who am I to discredit your thoughts?

Without question I am making huge assumptions. Am I reaching? I honestly don't know. It depends on what you meant by that. I only go by what I watch and some advanced stats. Obviously if I ran a team I would review a lot more film on each player and I would have my scouts to weigh in as well. But I don't unfortunately.

Anyway, my nine year old and I have fun working through what we want the Cavs to be (he is a hoops junkie (he has been to well over 100 games),I have no idea where he got it from ). I am open to criticism of it and others opinions or tweaks.

But overall my goal is to have a great defensive team with floor spacing three point shooters on the offensive side. I think both Kyrie and Beal could take advantage of the floor spacing.

[Czvosec]

Without question I am making huge assumptions. Am I reaching? I honestly don't know. It depends on what you meant by that. I only go by what I watch and some advanced stats. Obviously if I ran a team I would review a lot more film on each player and I would have my scouts to weigh in as well. But I don't unfortunately.

Anyway, my nine year old and I have fun working through what we want the Cavs to be (he is a hoops junkie (he has been to well over 100 games),I have no idea where he got it from ). I am open to criticism of it and others opinions or tweaks.

But overall my goal is to have a great defensive team with floor spacing three point shooters on the offensive side. I think both Kyrie and Beal could take advantage of the floor spacing.

I don't have any criticisms at all. Like I said, I like the makeup of that team. Young, good defenders, athletes... if they had to put together a contender in one offseason, I'd say you nailed everything. I'm just leery of spending all that money in one offseason.

That's awesome that your kid is a hoops junkie, though. Don't have any kids myself (still in college), but I remember being that kid. Might have had something to do with my dad being a basketball coach

[ChewyOH]

I cave...I'll play:

Re-signed: Alonzo Gee (3 years, 11 million), Donald Sloan (1 year minimum), Lester Hudson (1 year minimum), Samardo Samuels (1 year minimum)
Let go: Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Manny Harris, Semih Erden, Luke Walton (Buyout)
Drafted: Brad Beal (5), Moe Harkless (26), Festus Ezeli (33), Doron Lamb (35)
Free Agents Signed: Omer Asik (5 years, 30 million...based off of what Marcin Gortat got from the Magic...#'s are eerily similar), Ersan Ilyasova (4 years, 22 million...he wants at least 5 million a year)

2012-2013 15 man roster:
Name (Age)
PG: Kyrie Irving (20)/Donald Sloan (24)/Lester Hudson (28)
SG: Brad Beal (19)/Boobie Gibson (26)/Doron Lamb (20)
SF: Alonzo Gee (25)/Moe Harkless (19)/Omri Casspi (24)
PF: Ersan Ilyasova (25)/Tristan Thompson (21)/Samardo Samuels (23)
C: Omer Asik (26)/Anderson Varejao (30)/Festus Ezeli (22)

Average Age: 23.4667 years old

Im love this, but i would:
Sign(IDK how much they would cost) Brandon Rush(what 5 mil a year?)/Asik(6 mil)/Mahinmi(cheap) and try to get Batum(i realize would take alot, but i can dream)
draft Beal/John Jenkins/(trade our 2nd rounder/the Sacromento pick and Gibson to move into late first) Jeff Taylor

Giving us:
Irving-Sloan
Beal- Rush -Jenkins
Batum- Gee- Jeff Taylor
TT- Samuels
Varejao- Asik- Mahinmi

With Varejao and the lakers/heat's pick we could probably move up next draft

[AvonCavsFan]

OK, now that we know our draft position.

MY optimal Mock Offseason in a kind of perfect world.

Draft: Trade 4 and 24 for 6 and 11, also trade 34 for 10 and Okafor's contract.

We can go in so many directions with who we would draft--this is one of many many ways I was leaning. I went for high upside with the picks at 10 and 11--I am torn on who we should take--as each player seems to have good and bad parts to them.

Here is my mock draft: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/dra...or/view/29149/

6-Beal
10-Perry Jones
11-Meyers Leonard
33-Marquis Teague (he falls here because of how the draft plays out--if NO does not pick a PG at 10-it causes a shift down--and there are a lot of teams that don't need one)

AV-Leonard
TT-Samuels (AV will plays some minutes at both 4 and 5)
PJ3-Casspi-Walton
Beal-Gee-Gibson
Irving-Teague

Free agency:
Maybe put a big on Illyosova as a stretch 4. If we can get at the right price.