2021-2022 Cavaliers General Discussion: Trade Deadline Edition

[weepinwillow]

I left the Suns game thinking: this is a good basketball team. We beat Orlando the way a good basketball team will be a team like Orlando.
Cavs playing loose enough on offense that everyone gets looks while also focusing Garland and Allen a ton in the pnr, I like the counters they've show off of that too. The team defensive effort v Suns was there, even if they didn't quite have the horses to get the W, v Magic it was there, and having Mobley snuff out shots along with Markk & Allen made this one not seem like it was ever really in question.
They need a bucket-getter off the bench, some open 3's to fall, but overall this Cavs iteration is solidly built with guys who are buying in. If they stay healthy should be play-in or better this season.

 

[cabs]

Starting to think we need to trade for or draft a shooting guard more than a small forward

 

[cabs]

Well preferably one that can play both positions

 

[sailfish]

I left the Suns game thinking: this is a good basketball team. We beat Orlando the way a good basketball team will be a team like Orlando.
Cavs playing loose enough on offense that everyone gets looks while also focusing Garland and Allen a ton in the pnr, I like the counters they've show off of that too. The team defensive effort v Suns was there, even if they didn't quite have the horses to get the W, v Magic it was there, and having Mobley snuff out shots along with Markk & Allen made this one not seem like it was ever really in question.
They need a bucket-getter off the bench, some open 3's to fall, but overall this Cavs iteration is solidly built with guys who are buying in. If they stay healthy should be play-in or better this season.

Agreed. This team is coming together nicely. Garland, Markkanen, & Allen are all young veterans who are peaking at the same time. Mobley is a rookie, who doesn’t play like one, and is an absolute force defensively. Rubio, Love, & Osman bring veteran leadership and a steadying hand off the bench. We don’t need much from Okoro, other than defense, as he figures out his shot.

This team seems poised to go on another winning streak and is gonna be competitive all year long. I see them in the play-in tournament at worst and a 4 or 5 seed at best.

 

[LesGrossman]

Who is better in the east? Certainly Brooklyn, Bulls, Heat, right? Who else?

 

[Cavatt]

Who is better in the east? Certainly Brooklyn, Bulls, Heat, right? Who else?

Is put Milwaukee there too. Need to see that matchup.

 

[LesGrossman]

Is put Milwaukee there too. Need to see that matchup.

I had a feeling that i forgot about someone... Not sure how i think about Boston and the sixers...Washington should be more or less even, right?

 

[ajs1028]

I had a feeling that i forgot about someone... Not sure how i think about Boston and the sixers...Washington should be more or less even, right?

Hornets are better than a lot of people think. I watch the Hornets and the Cavs and trying to be impartial, I would say the Hornets are better than the Cavs

 

[MikeOC33]

Agreed. This team is coming together nicely. Garland, Markkanen, & Allen are all young veterans who are peaking at the same time. Mobley is a rookie, who doesn’t play like one, and is an absolute force defensively. Rubio, Love, & Osman bring veteran leadership and a steadying hand off the bench. We don’t need much from Okoro, other than defense, as he figures out his shot.

This team seems poised to go on another winning streak and is gonna be competitive all year long. I see them in the play-in tournament at worst and a 4 or 5 seed at best.

I know it's a long season, and l am biased, but Mobley should get serious consideration for 1st team defensive honors. The blocks, the footwork, the transition from arc to paint, the weakside help, altering shots....l love watching this kid play defense.

 

[Cement]

Starting to think we need to trade for or draft a shooting guard more than a small forward

Lauri's been a pleasant surprise and hasn't been exposed defensively at the 3. And the size is certainly a problem for other teams.

I don't know if he's been good enough to obviate the need for a more traditional 2-way wing but we've got the rest of the season to collect more data.

 

[MikeOC33]

Also, when Orlando gets healthy, they've got a load of talent on that team. And plenty of draft picks. It's still a dice roll to fit the pieces and make the right picks, but take the lumps now, they could be a formidable in 2 years.

 

[sailfish]

I know it's a long season, and l am biased, but Mobley should get serious consideration for 1st team defensive honors. The blocks, the footwork, the transition from arc to paint, the weakside help, altering shots....l love watching this kid play defense.

Hard to argue against that as few players have the kind of impact defensively that he does.

 

[MikeOC33]

Hard to argue against that as few players have the kind of impact defensively that he does.

He's not gonna beat out Giannis, so he'd have to bump Draymond at the F spot. But even 2nd team would be a super honor for his effort.

 

[sailfish]

Also, when Orlando gets healthy, they've got a load of talent on that team. And plenty of draft picks. It's still a dice roll to fit the pieces and make the right picks, but take the lumps now, they could be a formidable in 2 years.

I agree. Once Fultz & Isaac get healthy and they add another high lottery pick, that team will look very different and will be oozing with talent.

 

[Heat Check]

Weirdly, both Markkanen and Love are shooting much better (and on higher volume) from the perimeter since their respective covid layoffs.

LOVE
pre-covid: 5/24 (20.8%) 3.4 3PA
post-covid: 10/30 (33.3%) 6.0 3PA

MARKKANEN
pre-covid: 14/50 (28.0%) 6.3 3PA
post-covid: 9/24 (37.5%) 8.0 3PA

Small sample size, but the trend is encouraging. Hence, we need to pay more attention to creating good 3pt looks. Currently, there's way too much dribbling by Garland and Rubio when the Cavs are settling into their half court offense. They often waste half the shot clock just pounding the ball.

I'd like to see Mobley touch the rock much earlier. The Garland/Allen pick and roll connection is great and should be on the regular menu, but it makes a spectator out of Evan. He's not yet a perimeter spacing threat, so it just removes him from the equation altogether.

With our outside shooting creeping towards respectability, there should never be a need to force the ball inside when a safe pass just isn't there. Turnovers are the one thing that can and will kill us.

Move the ball and find different looks.