2022-2023 Regular Season II: Cardiac Cavs

[bleedwineandgold03]

In a few years while the Knicks are still a 4th or 5th seed Cavs will be contending for championships

 

[Dr No]

My concern is how the Cavs come out of the gate.
Will they be fired up to handle and contasin the Knicks or will they try to be a counter puncher?

I feel like Mitchell is young Mike Tyson try to knock them out in the 1st round kind of guy. Hopefully he sets a tone for the young team

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Only the first of these is really realistic IMO. Mobleys improvement is in fact likely, but not sure it will be enough. The Garland- Mitchell duo have to improve as well.

I expect Rubio to be much better next year than he is now. Maybe not at the same level he was playing at before the injury, but very close. A lot of his game is based on experience. He doesn't win with explosiveness or physicality.

Dean Wade had a serious shoulder injury that may still be affecting his shot. It was reported a few days ago that he almost had surgery early in the season but elected not to. Since missing nearly two months he is shooting 28.6% on 3's. The last two years he hit 36.6% and 35.9%.

Whether he can improve on those numbers next year is the question. If he can get up to the 38-40% area he would be a solid starter when you factor in his defense and ability to guard 3's and 4's.

 

[B Mac]

I expect Rubio to be much better next year than he is now. Maybe not at the same level he was playing at before the injury, but very close. A lot of his game is based on experience. He doesn't win with explosiveness or physicality.

Dean Wade had a serious shoulder injury that may still be affecting his shot. It was reported a few days ago that he almost had surgery early in the season but elected not to. Since missing nearly two months he is shooting 28.6% on 3's. The last two years he hit 36.6% and 35.9%.

Whether he can improve on those numbers next year is the question. If he can get up to the 38-40% area he would be a solid starter when you factor in his defense and ability to guard 3's and 4's.

I missed the story about him almost having surgery. An injury would definitely explain the abysmal shooting, but so far I havent seen anything outside of some rumors here that would make that explanation more concrete.

However, even before the injury, and I know I've stated this many, many times so I don't want to sound like a broken record or a hater, but his unwillingness to shoot the ball is just such a red flag for me that I don't know if he will ever truly reach his potential. Shoot the damn ball Dean.

My sights are set much higher at this point for our longer term starting 3. We don't need an allstar at the position, but the mythical 3 and D has to be the target. Really it's a combination of the best features of all of our guys. Someone who can knock down threes at close to 40% (LeVert), who can move well off ball to get themselves open (Cedi), who can switch on to a big and get a rebound (Wade), and who can slow the opposing team's star wing (Okoro). Is that too much to ask?

Not getting Bojan from the Jazz in the Mitchell trade is the biggest miss of the offseason for me. Not getting Royce O'Neal at the deadline is the biggest trade deadline miss. Both of those guys would have been the dream scenario and made this Cavs team a true favorite to win it all.

There's still time but finding the right guy to complete this team might be Koby's toughest task of all.

 

[shoes22]

There needed to be a realistic path for us to acquire those guys for it to be a “miss”. We did not have one, unless we didn’t do the Mitchell trade at all.

 

[bleedwineandgold03]

I bought my game 1 tix we better come out swinging. When is the playoffs schedule coming out?

 

[shoes22]

I bought my game 1 tix we better come out swinging. When is the playoffs schedule coming out?

Most likely Sunday night. Broadcasters are not going to commit to which teams play in which timeslots until that whole mess in the Western Conference is sorted out, which won't happen until Sunday evening after all 82 regular season games have been played.

 

[Dr No]

I expect Rubio to be much better next year than he is now. Maybe not at the same level he was playing at before the injury, but very close. A lot of his game is based on experience. He doesn't win with explosiveness or physicality.

Dean Wade had a serious shoulder injury that may still be affecting his shot. It was reported a few days ago that he almost had surgery early in the season but elected not to. Since missing nearly two months he is shooting 28.6% on 3's. The last two years he hit 36.6% and 35.9%.

Whether he can improve on those numbers next year is the question. If he can get up to the 38-40% area he would be a solid starter when you factor in his defense and ability to guard 3's and 4's.

I'm concerned about Rubio, but hopeful about next year for the same reasons you share. As long as he can still defend, the rest should be OK in time.

I think Wade being a upper 30's maybe even low 40's is probable. I believe he shot 40% on decent volume with the Charge so we know the distance isn't too much. He was shooting somewhere in the mid 40's when his shoulder got hurt the first time against the Bucks and was still over 40% when JBB began messing with his minutes in mid February (his shot went to Hell after that - chicken/egg, not sure which came first). I agree with those who think he needs to be more willing to shoot, but that's moderated a bit when you are on the court with snipers like DM & DG or can dump it into Mobley. Given the personnel he's surrounded with, I personally would rather him err on the side of caution rather than firing away. I think as he comes into the prime of his career, if he gets consistent minutes, he will likely be a guy who shoots within a percentage point or two of 40%. I also believe ultimately he is a better bench player than starter on a high level team. His best role to me is a 7th man, utility 3/4, who gets a reliable 20 minutes or so each night. Maybe a little more or a little less depending on matchup.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Fedor has a column on Rubio. Ricky is still in the process of working his way back from a serious knee injury.

“I’ve been trying to find my rhythm,” Rubio admitted. “Coming back in the middle of the season is hard.”

Even though he feels better physically now, there have been numerous moments this season when Rubio has felt -- and looked -- at least a step slow, when his body simply won’t cooperate. The passing windows close quickly. The lift isn’t there on his jumper. Defenders are staying in front. Some of those signature crafty movements he has grown accustomed to throughout his career are more taxing -- or just not doable...

The Cavs’ on-off splits are not nearly as attractive either. Only Robin Lopez and Mamadi Diakite have been worse in terms of points scored per 100 possessions. Rubio also has the fourth-lowest efficiency differential -- a number that calculates a team’s points scored per 100 possessions minus the team’s points allowed per 100 possessions.

Another challenge is figuring out how best to use him on the court.

“It is a work in progress of how he fits with two guards who for a majority of the year have done the majority of the ball-handling,” Bickerstaff said. “They’ve got to get comfortable getting off of it and going in the corner and allowing him to handle and make the play. I think there is a little bit of work there. I think we’re kind of figuring that out.”....

History says a player coming off a torn ACL, especially one who is 32 years old and has logged hard minutes during their professional career, is more likely to make an impact -- and get closer to their old form -- in the second year as opposed to the first.

History seems to be repeating -- even with Rubio sensing a breakthrough.

“Lately I feel more like myself,” he said. “I’m ready. I’m ready for the playoffs.”

From what I'm seeing he's not ready for the playoffs.

With no first round pick next year I'm thinking the Cavs, in order to beat the top three, will have to get significant improvement from Mobley, Rubio, and Wade. Now that Garland and Mitchell have had a season to play together they should be a better team next year as well.

Rubio just needs time and reps to get back to where he was last season. Mobley needs another six months in the weight room and working to get more accuracy on his jump hook and mid-range jumper. Wade needs to develop a more consistent 3-point shot.

 

[Peacedog]

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[Douglar]

What a fun game last night. The Cavs old guys and the young guys got together to put on the best summer league game* ever against the Orlando Generals. In April. And it counted as a real NBA win.

It was nice to see those guys play well.

* A summer league would have had a higher attendance though

 

[J_J]

51-31 great season overall. Glad no further injuries.

Pumped for these playoffs. Home court advantage and let’s do it in this first round.

Hope to go to MSG one night - let’s go!

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

There needed to be a realistic path for us to acquire those guys for it to be a “miss”. We did not have one

We could have traded Okoro straight up for one and refused to do so.

 

[MirORich]

We could have traded Okoro straight up for one and refused to do so.

Who are you referring to?

I do not recall any conversation at all that a team would have accepted Okoro for a Royce O’Neal, Josh Hart, Alec Burks type.