2023-24 Playoffs | Game #1 | Magic @ Cavs | April 20, 2024

[2 For The Brew]

Amongst the Strus discourse about sloppy play, I'd like to call out his defensive rebounding. While his passing was sloppy and his shot wasn't there for the game, he ended a lot of posessions with tough rebounds.

I got the impression that his #1 priority, even above keeping his man in front of him, Was to limit second chance opportunity.

He needs to be better, but I thought it worth calling this out. That effort and energy is needed for this team to succeed.

He also got the ball back three times after he turned it over due to his relentless hustle.

 

[bushwick_bill]

 

[Melancholy Jaques]

Prediction: At least one game in this series will produce several comments the gist of which will be "Where are all the people who wanted to get rid of LeVert now?"

 

[2 For The Brew]

Prediction: At least one game in this series will produce several comments the gist of which will be "Where are all the people who wanted to get rid of LeVert now?"

Levert can make you hate him and love him in the same game. Wild card.

 

[ClevelandOwnz]

Prediction: At least one game in this series will produce several comments the gist of which will be "Where are all the people who wanted to get rid of LeVert now?"

Maybe... I really think LeVert will shine next series if we get there.

 

[Jscc]

Prediction: At least one game in this series will produce several comments the gist of which will be "Where are all the people who wanted to get rid of LeVert now?"

As there should be. He's a luxury I like having and the bench would be pretty bad without him.

 

[bushwick_bill]

 

[shoes22]

As there should be. He's a luxury I like having and the bench would be pretty bad without him.

With LeVert's inconsistency, he's just as likely to contribute to the bench being bad as he is towards the bench being good.

 

[AustinCarr]

With LeVert's inconsistency, he's just as likely to contribute to the bench being bad as he is towards the bench being good.

He was overall pretty mediocre in game one, but the plays he DID make were very impactful.

 

[Holden beach]

The refs were infuriating.

Orlando, didn't shoot well, turned the ball over a ton, and sucked at the foul line. 19-30 (61%)

The Cavs did seem to learn a lesson from last year's first round beat down by the Knicks. They controlled the defensive glass and didn't wilt. Well done.

Crush them on Monday.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Does he still post here? I was wondering what happened to him. He was my favorite Cleveland sports journalist right there with Windy.

My WAG is that he put a lot of hope into his book, and it didn't do well. Probably a huge bummer for him.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

As there should be. He's a luxury I like having and the bench would be pretty bad without him.

Any bench generally would suffer from losing a guy who makes $16M/year without replacing him with someone else. The real issue is whether we should be getting more for that much money, or at least a better fit.

 

[Jscc]

My WAG is that he put a lot of hope into his book, and it didn't do well. Probably a huge bummer for him.

That's too bad. I bought that book too. I consider it a heirloom for that 2016 title win.

Any bench generally would suffer from losing a guy who makes $16M/year without replacing him with someone else. The real issue is whether we should be getting more for that much money, or at least a better fit.

LeVert's salary is decent and maybe less than it should be for what he brings, which is VORP production [it's +1.1 this year and was +1.0 last season].

Norman Powell, Dillon Brooks, Evan Fournier, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Hart are wings similar to him in terms of role that (1) make more than he does or (2) are older. None of them have LeVert's ball-handling abilities that make him so valuable either. You can insert him into PG, SG, or SF starting roles when needed. He can shoot, make plays, defend, and score. That is very rare for a wing at his salary level, much less for one that comes off the bench.

And when you start looking at wings making less than he does you get (1) wings like Josh Giddey that haven't been paid yet or (2) one-dimensional wings/limited wings like Herb Jones, Josh Green, Matisse Thybulle, or Landry Shamet.