2021-2022 Cavaliers General Discussion: Trade Deadline Edition

[Blazie]

Yknow, I hate to be this guy, but I think I'm seeing really good teams do what really good teams do against bad teams: coast for 3.75 quarters and then turn it on when they need to.

Don't get me wrong, the talent difference in previous years was so lopsided that teams were blowing us out even when they were coasting, and never needed to turn it on at all. So I guess that's progress. I'm just a little wary of the narrative that this team is super close to anything...

The defense has improved, it's good to see some guys playing with some gumption, and I'm intrigued by Markkanen. But unless this team stays healthy and Garland turns into 1986 Isaiah Thomas, I think we miss the play-in.

Still, I hope I'm wrong. Curious to see what happens later on when other teams really start jockeying for position in the standings. Don't buy that our schedule has de facto been all that tough at a point in the year when nobody's playing for anything.

 

[Peacedog]

??

Griffin wasn't that good but I think a GM needs to have a winning season before thinking of saying this.

No, that's not necessary.

 

[MirORich]

PHX just ran through a fully healthy Knicks team at the Garden, winning by 21. Not hard to appreciate the competitiveness the Cavs have put forth all season.

 

[stick]

Yknow, I hate to be this guy, but I think I'm seeing really good teams do what really good teams do against bad teams: coast for 3.75 quarters and then turn it on when they need to.

Don't get me wrong, the talent difference in previous years was so lopsided that teams were blowing us out even when they were coasting, and never needed to turn it on at all. So I guess that's progress. I'm just a little wary of the narrative that this team is super close to anything...

The defense has improved, it's good to see some guys playing with some gumption, and I'm intrigued by Markkanen. But unless this team stays healthy and Garland turns into 1986 Isaiah Thomas, I think we miss the play-in.

Still, I hope I'm wrong. Curious to see what happens later on when other teams really start jockeying for position in the standings. Don't buy that our schedule has de facto been all that tough at a point in the year when nobody's playing for anything.

Whiffed against Memphis on the road in the fourth (but still had to come from behind).

Closed out Atlanta at home.
Closed out Denver on the road.
Whiffed against the Lakers on the road in the fourth.
Closed out Charlotte on the road.
Closed out Portland at home.
Closed out Toronto on the road.
Closed out New York on the road.

Last three sans Collin.

Whiffed against Washington at home in the closing minutes.
Closed out Boston at home.
Whiffed against Boston the second time at home (Mobley didn't play in the fourth)
Made a little run against Brooklyn in the second half, but came up short.
Whiffed against Brooklyn at home in the fourth.
Whiffed against GSW at home in the fourth.
Whiffed against Phoenix at home in the fourth.

All but one sans Mobley (and many other players for a good chunk).

Cavs aren't close to a bad team this year, in my opinion. Understand where you're coming from though.

Some of the best teams in the league were able to turn it on against them late, but the team as a whole has been fairly effective at closing out others late in the game. Now they haven't done it lately, but with Mobley coming back and other young players gaining a lot of tough experience, I think they'll put it together and resemble more of the top half of those results in tight games. Cavs aren't surprising anyone now. Teams are somewhat prepared for them or at least know they're going to be in for a fight. I dunno if teams were laying off them too much until the 4th recently. Cavs were going through an adjustment period with their new reputation and then were hit with a bevy of injuries/illness which is an unfortunate combo. Especially since the last four have been Brooklyn twice, Golden State, and Phoenix.

Disagree with the strength of schedule, but again, hear where you're coming from!

I'm really curious to see where the team goes from here! I really do think it's gonna continue to be a fun year. Like you were getting at, health is key.

 

[Cassity14]

Part of a team going from bottom feeder to competitor is learning how to close out games. We're seeing the young Cavs have to try to figure that out this year, and it hasn't always been pretty.

It's the next step in their development as a core.

 

[CavsFaninNJ]

Whiffed against Memphis on the road in the fourth (but still had to come from behind).

Closed out Atlanta at home.
Closed out Denver on the road.
Whiffed against the Lakers on the road in the fourth.
Closed out Charlotte on the road.
Closed out Portland at home.
Closed out Toronto on the road.
Closed out New York on the road.

Last three sans Collin.

Whiffed against Washington at home in the closing minutes.
Closed out Boston at home.
Whiffed against Boston the second time at home (Mobley didn't play in the fourth)
Made a little run against Brooklyn in the second half, but came up short.
Whiffed against Brooklyn at home in the fourth.
Whiffed against GSW at home in the fourth.
Whiffed against Phoenix at home in the fourth.

All but one sans Mobley (and many other players for a good chunk).

Cavs aren't close to a bad team this year, in my opinion. Understand where you're coming from though.

Some of the best teams in the league were able to turn it on against them late, but the team as a whole has been fairly effective at closing out others late in the game. Now they haven't done it lately, but with Mobley coming back and other young players gaining a lot of tough experience, I think they'll put it together and resemble more of the top half of those results in tight games. Cavs aren't surprising anyone now. Teams are somewhat prepared for them or at least know they're going to be in for a fight. I dunno if teams were laying off them too much until the 4th recently. Cavs were going through an adjustment period with their new reputation and then were hit with a bevy of injuries/illness which is an unfortunate combo. Especially since the last four have been Brooklyn twice, Golden State, and Phoenix.

Disagree with the strength of schedule, but again, hear where you're coming from!

I'm really curious to see where the team goes from here! I really do think it's gonna continue to be a fun year. Like you were getting at, health is key.

When they won 6 of 7 as a relatively healthy team, they were closing out more often than not. Of course they didn’t during this 5 game losing streak, but they also were about as injured as an NBA team fan be against very good teams. Can’t even judge them for that, honestly. Imagine if Brooklyn let that group who showed up in Barclays close them out… it would be more of a statement about the Nets than the Cavs.

 

[chuck0609]

The injuries and illnesses have been devastating. I’m curious if they can stay afloat around .500 until Mobley gets back. Once he does, the question becomes can they overcome the Sexton injury.
Or has the goal become to get the the lottery one last time. The Okoro pick is the one with the biggest spotlight.

 

[Jontibs]

Need a win against the Magic , have played a lot of good basketball for little reward in the last 2 weeks, for the sake of morale and confidence they need to end this losing run.

A loss, and this could be a 10 game losing streak, the type of scenario that could be unrecoverable from this year.

A pivot to tanking would be a true kick to the groin.

 

[Cavatt]

I think they miss Collin more than people think.

 

[sailfish]

Part of a team going from bottom feeder to competitor is learning how to close out games. We're seeing the young Cavs have to try to figure that out this year, and it hasn't always been pretty.

It's the next step in their development as a core.

I think the Cavs have actually done quite well in that regard, especially for such a young team. They’ve been in every game and, off the top of my head, have won two games (@Tor, BOS) that they really had no business winning.

 

[Futuredome]

I think they miss Collin more than people think.

you mean Mobley. Collin is a offensive/defensive negation.

 

[Dr No]

The last 4 in a row that we’ve lost were: Nets, Warriors, Nets, Suns. The Nets only loss in their last 8 was the Warriors. The Suns haven’t lost in over a month. And the Warriors are probably the best team in the League right now. I wouldn’t read much into our losing streak. Almost every team in the nba would have gone 0-4 with that schedule

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The last 4 in a row that we’ve lost were: Nets, Warriors, Nets, Suns. The Nets only loss in their last 8 was the Warriors. The Suns haven’t lost in over a month. And the Warriors are probably the best team in the League right now. I wouldn’t read much into our losing streak. Almost every team in the nba would have gone 0-4 with that schedule

Absolutely, especially since we were playing without Mobley and Sexton.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Here are the games missed to injuries, illness, or COVID protocol by the players in the normal rotation:

Garland 2
Sexton 8
Allen 3
Mobley 4
Markkanen 9
Osman 3
Love 8
Okoro 7

Total of 44 games missed which over 19 games played comes out to an average of 2.3 players out per game.

When you consider the Cavs have played one of the four toughest schedules in the league and are still 9-10 despite all those missed games that's pretty impressive.

When you consider they have the second easiest schedule the rest of the way with 63 games to go that's really encouraging. The question is how many more injuries will be cropping up over the rest of the season, not to mention the wild card which is COVID, which spikes in the winter months.

But at this point, with everybody healthy except Sexton and the second easiest schedule in the league the rest of the way, things are looking very good.

The Eastern Conference is incredibly competitive this year - the 13th place team is 9-12 and six games out of first. The Cavs are three games out of third. With some decent luck with injuries and COVID the Cavs could easily be in the thick of things right to the end.

They still have only played one game against teams ranked 23-30 in the CBS Power Poll, although they'll play another one tonight.

 

[red.]