How much better are we?

[gambler]

Wait, 16-1 just to get to the ECF? That's insane!

no...its 16/1 to win.....depending on who they meet up with....could be 8/1 to get there...

i see a lot of people worrying about the three and i was one of them.....but i think you need ot give clevelands world class management the benefit of the doubt as they have done an incredible job building this fukn bad-ass team in just three years....a team wiht arguably four all-stars...still 2.5mm under the cap. and like both rj and perk say.....that fifth player....maybe it "doesnt matter" so much...


you look at the 2002-3 spurs...one all star but an elite defense....one of those defenders being bruce bowen....if okoro can get to a 108 defensive rating...shoot 40 percent from the corner three and make an improvement to his already legit nba-level open-court/ transitional offensive game....mobely gets to 20/10 on 50/35 splits....this team....imo....doesnt need anything else and if they do nothing that the trade deadline might not resolve.

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

Mobley is the key. He is very good. Will he be great or elite? If so, how long will that improvement take? If he can get close to Giannis level impact with Garland, Mitchell and Allen, they are going to be special.

 

[mds]

I enjoy the team being good. If we don’t win 9 championships I can still enjoy several years of being in the playoffs and getting deep into them a few times. Fact is there will always be other teams and players who are also really good. It’s what makes it fun.

 

[Cavatt]

I enjoy the team being good. If we don’t win 9 championships I can still enjoy several years of being in the playoffs and getting deep into them a few times. Fact is there will always be other teams and players who are also really good. It’s what makes it fun.

Yeah this worry about only being a 9/10 isn't something I am concerned about. Shit happens, and bad luck alone can sink you. If this team is fun and good that is giving yourself a chance.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Mobley is the key. He is very good. Will he be great or elite? If so, how long will that improvement take? If he can get close to Giannis level impact with Garland, Mitchell and Allen, they are going to be special.

Saw a video of Mobley playing in a pickup game. He looked like a 6'11" shooting guard, dribbling with both hands, knocking down contested 15-footers off the dribble, 3's, and reminding me of Durant.

I think Mobley is going to be unstoppable this year while Mitchell and Garland learn how to play off each other and prevent the other from being doubled.

The Guardians are showing up what a motivated young team can accomplish. The Cavs are similar in makeup with a bunch of hungry, talented young players who are eager to win.

 

[gambler]

Saw a video of Mobley playing in a pickup game. He looked like a 6'11" shooting guard, dribbling with both hands, knocking down contested 15-footers off the dribble, 3's, and reminding me of Durant.

I think Mobley is going to be unstoppable this year while Mitchell and Garland learn how to play off each other and prevent the other from being doubled.

The Guardians are showing up what a motivated young team can accomplish. The Cavs are similar in makeup with a bunch of hungry, talented young players who are eager to win.

i think the cavs are going to play him 8-10 min/game at the 3....love has world class experience....he can still maybe go 18-20 min/game at the four...playing conservatively...and get through the season.....

perkins has the cavs as the favorites....to already go wiht rj saying they are going ot finish top 3 in th nba


i agree wiht daugherty to a certain extent....if the cavs cant get to the ecf wiht this team....taking into consideratoin how suspect wiht injuries the bucks, 76ers and celtics are with their starting five....the season is a failure...im 100 percent positve the whole team ...players and front office....feel the same


williams...who had a better defensive rating than gobert... is probably out unitl the end of january...if he even comes back at all this year. the celtics are giong to be forced to play small ball until the break and even if the timelord does come back what version will he be?....and what will the celtics team have left in the tank come the playoffs?.....16/1 cavs ecf is stupid.....i have them co-favorites wiht the 76ers and the bucks....should be no more than +600/700...once either shaq, kenny and chuck come out and say that the cavs are the favorites....lines goign to get bet down to +900...800...come tip-off

heres timelord saying that even tho...as a man... he made the decision to come back early and play.... he also says thathe "bought into it" ...in all likelihood the celtics pushed him to play...


hes already getting extremely short money for the player he is....very good chance he goes "fuk you"mode and sits the entire year and no one could blame him.

 

[cabs]

I want at least 3 championships from this group, I already knocked down a dry wall to make room for the replica trophy’s

 

[Peacedog]

I want at least 3 championships from this group, I already knocked down a dry wall to make room for the replica trophy’s

I'd settle for one more, if offered now.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Perkins thinks the Cavs have the best starting five in the NBA. Wow!

I think you can make a pretty good argument. Who has a better starting five? Golden State probably, with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, and Looney.

Phoenix won 64 games last year - the next closest was Memphis with 56. But Chris Paul is 37 and Crowder is a role player. Booker, Bridges, and Ayton are good, but I'm not sure their starting five is better than the new Cavs' lineup whether LeVert, Wade, or Okoro is starting.

And who has a better bench than Rubio, Love, Wade, Okoro (if LeVert starts), Cedi, Stevens, and Lopez?

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

On paper the Nets look awesome with Kyrie and Joe Harris at guard, Durant and Ben Simmnons at forward and Claxton at center. But they are a very old team. Durant and Morris are 33, Mills is 34, Harris 31, and Curry 32. Injuries could be a problem again this year.

 

[JJ_PR]

IMO folks are making too much out of the Cavs being a "young" team. Looking at the key players come playoff time:

Garland - 4 years NBA experience (by the end of this season)
Mitchell - 6 years
LeVert - 7 years
Allen - 6 years
Mobley - 2 years
Okoro - 3 years
Love - 15 years
Rubio - 12 years

I'm seeing youth in terms of age but not in terms of experience. Mobley is the least experienced, but by the time the playoffs start he will have about 150 games under his belt and Okoro over 200. We won't be playing any rookies or guys who have been around a couple of years but haven't played much.

If anything youth is an advantage because teams with aging stars have to rest them during the season and they are more likely to be injured or worn down by April.

Durant turns 34 this month. In Boston, Horford is 36. He started 69 games for them last year and averaged 29 minutes. In Milwaukee Jrue Holiday is 32 while George Hill is 36 and Joe Ingles is 35. They have some old guards on that team.

Don't forget that Mobley is 21. Inexperience won't be an issue for this team moving forward.

 

[foucault87]

Perkins thinks the Cavs have the best starting five in the NBA. Wow!

I think you can make a pretty good argument. Who has a better starting five? Golden State probably, with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, and Looney.

Phoenix won 64 games last year - the next closest was Memphis with 56. But Chris Paul is 37 and Crowder is a role player. Booker, Bridges, and Ayton are good, but I'm not sure their starting five is better than the new Cavs' lineup whether LeVert, Wade, or Okoro is starting.

And who has a better bench than Rubio, Love, Wade, Okoro (if LeVert starts), Cedi, Stevens, and Lopez?

Perk has garbage takes but this isn't so far off the mark. Off the top of my head, I think Phx, GSW, Mil are for sure stronger than our 5. Boston and Phi probably are too. Den with returned Murray and MPJ is right there as well.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Cleaningtheglass.com has Boston with the best five-man lineup last year at a +24.3 points per 100 possessions. This was limited to lineups that had at least 500 possessions.

Smart, Brown, Tatum, Horford, and Williams were the best starting lineup in the NBA last year. Second best was the Philly lineup of Harden, Maxey, Thybulle, Harris, and Embiid at +20.3.

Next was Dallas at +14.7 (Western Conference). Miami had the third best EC starting lineup with Lowry, Robinson, Tucker, Butler, and Adebayo at +12.9. Tucker is no longer on the Heat and Max Strus is listed as a starter on the depth chart.

Phoenix had just the 10th best starting lineup despite winning eight more regular season games than any team. They must have had a great bench.

Where the Cavs lineup of Allen, Mobley, Garland, Mitchell and Mr. X will slot in remains to be seen.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

I don’t think we have the best. It’s a super stacked league right now. Results matter more than on-paper potential talent. I would expect at least half of the Celtics, Warriors, Bucks, Sixers, Nets, Suns, Timberwolves, Clippers, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Heat, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Raptors to have a better starting five lineup +/- than us. In a few years though, with a little more development and if we can establish the guy at that starting 3 spot, I think we could have the best starting five. But right now, our frontcourt spacing and backcourt defense will hold us back from truly elite territory.

 

[Futuredome]

50+ wins and a playoff series win is the baseline. Can't do that, the season is a bust. Don't like that demand???? Then blame Altman/Gilbert. They pushed up the timeframe with the trade and told us we are contending with the Bucks, Celtics, Nets and 6ers now baby. Do you want the Admiral Kirk speech before we go into battle against Khan???? It's all hands on deck for the first time in a Non-Lebron world.