The Process God
Birthing All-Stars
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2010
- Messages
- 4,896
- Reaction score
- 5,349
- Points
- 113
Cleveland Cavaliers Team Preview
Sorry for the late preview, guys. I lost my entire preview when my computer went down, so this one is a completely new one. Although I am an avid photoshopper, I didn’t have much time to do that due to my desktop going on the fritz, so I decided to opt on content over flash, which I’m sure you all care about more anyway. Anyhow, without further ado.
Introduction
The Cleveland Cavaliers have suffered dearly since LeBron left in the off-season of 2010. We Danny Ferry and Mike Brown exited, and in came Chris Grant and Byron Scott. The Cavs then commenced to tank at unprecedented levels, and they do not go without getting rewarded. They had tank masters, lingering injuries, and a complete lack of coaching or a game plan. Three years of all of that, no less, but here comes the fun part. In 2011, they drafted Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. In 2012, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller. In 2013, Anthony Bennett, Sergey Karasev, and Carrick Felix. All of these players thus far have, for the most part, shown a lot of promise. Additionally they have stockpiled a treasure chest of assets (mostly picks) that could make any other team jealous thanks to Chris Grant’s favorably lopsided trades. In come veterans Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, and Andrew Bynum along with some possible 14th and 15th players like Matthew Dellavedova. And there you have your current Cleveland Cavaliers.
Salary Information
Assets
Source: http://realcavsfans.com/showthread....14-Salary-Trade-Assets-and-Future-Draft-Picks
Please be sure to thank those involved in the making of the information I provided in the quotes if you haven't already.
Additions
Anthony Bennett, Sergey Karasev, Carrick Felix, Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, Andrew Bynum
Likely: Matthew Dellavedova, Henry Sims
Subtractions
Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi, Wayne Ellington, Shaun Livingston, Kevin Jones, Chris Quinn, Marreese Speights, Luke Walton
Depth chart:
PG: Kyrie, Jack, Dellavedova
SG: Dion, Jack, Miles, Karasev, Felix
SF: Clark, Miles, Karasev, Gee, Felix
PF: Thompson, Bennett, Zeller, Sims
C: Bynum, Varejao, Zeller, Sims
Player/Coach Previews
Mike Brown
(Sorry, the jaded Lakers fans gave me way too many gifs to choose from. :chuckles
Strengths:
-Player's coach
-Strong winning history
-Comes from the Poppovich tree
-Defense
-Making adjustments from game to game
Weaknesses/Questions
-Will he be able to make in-game adjustments especially in the playoffs?
-Will he handle Kyrie better than he handled LeBron?
-How good will the offense be?
Synopsis: He's back. In Brown. Mike Brown is one of the few coaches to be rehired be his old team. Evidently, the front office regretted ever having let go of Mike Brown. Was it a mistake? No. Not in the end. Without Brown leaving, he probably doesn't grow like he did, nor do we get Kyrie or some of the other good, young players that we have. Brown leaving for three seasons and coming back actually was rather perfect because the Cavs needed a tank driver, and Brown is not the best tank driver. Byron "Folded Arms" Scott, however, had no trouble failing to implement no offensive or defensive scheme, which allowed the Cavs to tank at unprecedented levels.
Back to Brown. He is exactly what this team needs. Brown has never really been a situation where he could mold the team to whatever he wanted, but he will get to do exactly that with this team. If you read between the lines, you can see that Mike Brown was made for this type of situation and that he will thrive in it. Mike Brown building a team from the ground up will go far, whereas him coming into an already built, veteran team does not give him the freedom to work like he could with a young team. Guys are set into their ways, the FO asks him to do another thing, and so on and so forth. Not this time. Mike Brown is the man in charge, and things will go exactly as he guides them.
Some criticisms of Brown 1.0 include how he lacked an offensive scheme and how he lacked the ability to make in-game adjustments in order to keep leads. We would notoriously have terrible third quarters in the playoffs, which would lead to massive leads being gone within minutes. Some argue against that, saying that Mike Brown maximized what he could get out of the LeBron-era teams and that he had nothing to adjust with because no other option was better at the time. Regardless, Brown has grown a lot since the 2009-2010 season. He has a new swag. You can see it in his speech and how he carries himself. His growth should hopefully put those concerns to rest. Not to mention that we now have the assistant coach responsible for the ungodly offense that the Suns enjoyed with Nash and Stoudemire, Igor Kokoskov. Add in the strong team of coaches that were also assembled, Bernie Bickerstaff, Jim Boylan, Bret Brielmaier, Phil Handy, and Jamahl Mosley, and you have yourself a coaching staff that can help cover any deficiencies that Mike Brown may still have.
Look for Brown to win coach of the year again (is that even a good thing?!) due to the large jump in wins that we'll likely see.
Kyrie "Uncle Drew" Irving
Strengths:
-Transcendent in all aspects of scoring
-Playmaking
-Basketball IQ
-Clutchness
-Best handles in the league
-Schooling them young bloods
-Not yet at his ceiling
Weaknesses/Questions
-Defense. Will he pick it up this year and be the “head of the snake”?
-His playmaking is good, but can it be great? Chris Paul-level?
-Injuries. Will he stay healthy this season?
-Conditioning. It looks like it finally will not be an issue.
Synopsis: Kyrie Irving is a transcendent player. I have never seen a player this overall more skilled. His basketball IQ is off the charts. His is looking to be the MVP this season as he shared with the media this coming season, and, although I am not sure if he can do it this season, I believe he has the talent to do it eventually. If Rose can do it, he can. Kyrie is looking to be the leader of this team this season. He has shied from this role somewhat these past two seasons, but he seems ready to take on that role this season if you base that opinion on how he has taken action in leading the team this off-season in practices and work ethic.
His defense is still a question this coming season. However, he has already played better defense in these two preseason games than he has at any time during his first two seasons. The same goes for his conditioning. It is looking like less of a question this coming season. Some have complained that he is only a scorer, but when you’re that good at scoring, and when you have few options to which you can pass, who could blame him? I expect his playmaking skills to really be in full display this coming season. Look for him to make the ascension into the 2nd Team All-NBA this coming season if all goes well.
Jarrett "Where the fuck did my eyes go?" Jack
Strengths:
-Scoring
-Ball Handling
-Sexy Mustache that says, “hey, I got experience, but I can still do it!”
-Mentoring
-Ain’t got no time for Kyrie and Dion’s bullshit
Weaknesses/Questions
-Chest bumps like an old man
-Prone to chucking at times
-Defense is questionable
Synopsis: Jarrett Jack was signed this past off-season to be our 6th man. However, I would argue that he was really signed for his mentoring for Kyrie and Dion more so than his scoring off the bench. So much of our team is invested in our starting backcourt of the future in Kyrie and Dion, so bringing in Jack made a lot of sense due to how good of a mentor he is. He holds players accountable in a tough love sense, and he also can still play at a high level himself, so it lends to his credibility and authority in speaking to Kyrie and Dion.
Beyond his mentoring, Jack makes for the perfect 3-guard rotation, for he can play either PG or SG due to his passing and scoring abilities. Another nice thing is that, if Kyrie goes down, we have an arguably top 15 PG to fill in that position. That makes the Jack signing all the more valuable since Kyrie has missed significant playing time both of these past two seasons. It is pretty established that Jack will play mostly SG when Kyrie is on the floor, but he will play PG while Dion is on the floor. Expect him to back up both players.
Matthew "Delly" Dellavedova
Strengths:
-Can shoot the 3-ball
-High basketball IQ
-Makes the right play
-Floor general
Weaknesses/Questions
-Athleticism
-Defense
-Not the most skilled guy in the world
Synopsis: Matthew Dellavedova holds the NCAA record for most cumulative minutes played in NCAA basketball with 4,944 minutes played in 4 seasons. Why is this important? Over Kyrie’s first two seasons, he missed out on 38 games of basketball. If Kyrie goes down this season, the Cavs will need a point guard to fill the backup role. A reliable one. And not just in durability, but someone who fits within the context of the team. If called upon, Dellavedova’s role would be floor general, defense, and 3-pt shooting when necessary. He won’t ever wow you with his below average athleticism or mediocre skills, but his decision making is what is going to keep him in that 3rd PG spot. Additionally, being Australian didn’t hurt either. Expect Delly to make the team, but be sent to the Canton Charge until needed.
Dion "AND ONE!" Waiters
Strengths:
-Athleticism and strength
-Driving and scoring
-Catch’n’shoot 3
-Swag
-Is crispy
-Playmaking (could be a point guard)
-Throws awesome parties
Weaknesses/Questions
-Decision-making
-Shot selection
-Defense
-Finishing
-Balding
-Doesn't do himself any favors with the refs with calling "and one!"
Synopsis: Dion is probably the biggest question mark in terms of how good he will end up being. We’re pretty sure that Kyrie will fall into a top 10, top 5 player if not better. Tristan will likely fall in the realm of starter-quality (which he’s already hit) to almost all-star or low-level all-star a few times. You can just watch Bennett and know that he’s going to probably be an all-star. But with Dion, you see the all-star potential, but you’re just not sure if he will put it all together.
He’s almost as good at getting to the hoop as Kyrie, but his finishing needs work. I think that things slowing down for him will make a big difference this year. I think things slowing down for him will also help with his decision-making, shot selection, and defense as well. If anyone is going to help Dion reach his ceiling, it’s the Mike Brown and Jarrett Jack combo. Brown is the nurturer and teacher, and Jarrett is the accountabilabuddy who won’t take his shit. If you’ve been watching these past couple of preseason games, Dion looks better than ever in all aspects of his game. From his new-found body and athleticism to his better decision-making and shot selection, I have come away impressed.
Oh, and thank God Mike Brown told Dion he can only bring the ball up the floor if he rebounds it! Genius! :chuckles:
CJ "Chuck Jumpers" Miles
Strengths:
-Catch’n’shoot 3s
-Great shocked emotion
-Pretty athletic
Weaknesses/Questions
-Defense
-Has never seen a shot he didn’t like
-Is he balding or just have a high hairline?
Synopsis: CJ Miles is actually one of the better contracts on our team, having signed a 2-year, 4m deal last season. He can catch and shoot as well as any player, has good size for the 2 and can play the 3, is pretty athletic, and he can even defend has he has shown with Mike Brown. He struggled somewhat this past season, but, without being given a concise role with which to work, he got lost. I see Miles performing much better this coming season, possibly even starting at the 3 if Clark fails to live up to expectations, which aren’t that lofty considering that Gee has been regressing for a while now.
Sergey "The Shot Maker" Karasev
Strengths:
-Elite shooter
-Great size for 2 and can play 3
-Ball handling
-Playmaking
-Comes from a great lineage of basketball (Dad is best Russian PG of all time)
-Still only 19
Weaknesses/Questions
-Athleticism/Strength
-Defense
Synopsis: I’ll tell you what. You can tell he’s been playing professional basketball for quite some time because he is the most composed 19-year-old I’ve seen on this team since our now all-star PG Kyrie entered the Cavs scene. As some have said, Karasev has shown lottery talent thus far. His jump shot is so beautiful. His passes are also equally breath-taking. In fact, some teammates don’t even expect them since they’re so out of nowhere (as we saw in the 10/17/13 game vs. Detroit). His defense also has not been horrible. It is still average at best, but it isn’t awful like one would expect from a guy who looks like he belongs in front of a help desk.
Long story short, you can just tell that the guy gets it. Reportedly, Sergey was originally intended for the D-League, but he is making it hard to do that. Don’t be surprised if he takes over the reserve SG/SF role over Miles/Gee or even starts at some point. His game fits in perfectly between his elite shooting skills and well above average passing ability. Steal of the draft?
Carrick "The Cat" Felix
Strengths:
-Defense
-Athleticism
-Does the little things
-Played four years of college ball
-Maturity
-Rebounding
-Good hair cut
Weaknesses/Questions
-Needs to work on offense like ball handling and shooting
-Not much of a play maker either
-He’s already 23, so his ceiling is lower than other players on our team
Synopsis: Call him the Alonzo Gee replacement. There is nothing that Alonzo Gee can do that this guy can’t. He’s already a better defender than the regressing Gee, and his ceiling is also higher. He also isn’t an idiot with the ball and can actually catch it. He plays within himself and rarely looks lost. He always goes hard. He'll sacrifice himself for the team. He is already our best wing defender and might be used in spot situations throughout the season, but don’t expect him to get regular playing time. It's a sad reality, but expect him to be sent to the D-league to work on his offense.
Earl "Two first names" Clark
Strengths:
-Big-ass SF
-Defense
-Rebounds well for SF
-Can play PF
Weaknesses/Questions
-Will he be better than Alonzo Gee?
-Will he spread the floor well enough for our guards?
Synopsis: Clark was our 3rd-biggest free agent this past off-season and is yet another fix-a-flat for our leaking small forward position. He’s like a bigger Alonzo Gee. But he seems more promising because he can fit within the SF 3’n’D role more easily than Gee, who thinks he’s Corey Maggette and can barge into the lane and score at will. Allegedly Brown believes that Clark has the potential to be the next Channing Frye, where he can be this big guy who magically develops a great 3-pt shot. Although I doubt that happens, he should be our starting small forward for at least a good chunk of the season until Mike Brown inevitably gets tired of him and starts about 5 other players including Moondog at the 3-spot.
Alonzo "Don't give a fuck" Gee
Strengths:
- . . . Dunking?
Weaknesses/Questions
-Don’t get me started
Synopsis: I’m pretty much over Gee. I was originally somewhat excited, kinda like, “hey, it’s somewhat of a nice thing that we found a medium-low return on a low-risk project.” Gee topped out in the 2011-2012/2012-2013 seasons, offering good defense, rebounding, and energy. But he never developed that 3-pt shot. Then his already bad ball handling and decision making just got worse and worse. He just never seemed satisfied with his role. I hope he doesn’t get any playing time or is chosen over Karasev or anything like that. The Alonzo Gee experiment is over. We have Waiters, Jack, Karasev, Clark, Miles, Felix, and even Jermaine Taylor (although he likely won’t make the team), all of whom are better options than Gee at the 2 and 3 positions. Pray that Gee is phased out into the 11-15 spots on the team and that Karasev gets some playing time in the regular rotation.
Tristan "Which hand am I supposed to shoot with again?" Thompson
Wait, what?
Strengths:
-Great character
-High work ethic
-Great rebounder
-Good post moves
-Athletic/runs floor well
-Defense
-Underrated passer
Weaknesses/Questions
-Jump shot. Could this be the year that he finally develops one?
-Free throw % still needs to improve. Looks like he will likely break 70% this year.
-Could use some more strength and size
Synopsis: It’s kinda funny to think about how robotic Tristan looked his rookie season. He had little to no post moves. He had like 2 assists after a large amount of games. He was too weak to defend much of anyone with strength. His defensive rebounding was poor. His offense in general was terrible. Some were thinking that he would be nothing more than an energy big and that we had wasted our coveted 4th pick on such.
Fast forward two seasons, and we have a player who is looking this coming season to have 12 rebounds per 36 potential with great defensive rebounding ability, a pretty good post game with the ability to finish with both hands, deceptively good ball handling for a PF, 70-80% FT after shooting 48% in college, 2-4 assists per 36, and at least some form of a jump shot, and here’s the kicker, after SWITCHING shooting hands. This is literally unprecedented in basketball, and it is working so far. Tristan shot 78% FT in his time with the Canadian basketball team this off-season with his RIGHT hand after shooting lefty for 22 years. Then he hit an off-the-dribble jumper in a preseason game against Detroit. He has literally transformed from an awkward player to a rather competent power forward, who, by the way, might now have center-esque length?! Yeah. Although this is unconfirmed, it’s pretty obvious that he has grown probably an inch or two and is in the 6’9”-6’10” range.
Anyhow, expect Tristan to start this season, play all 82 games, and probably lead the team in minutes played. He is as reliable as they come. Glad to have him.
Anthony "Just one more hamburger" Bennett
Strengths:
-Top-3 jump shot form on the team and just a phenomenal shooter in general
-Ball handling
-Can take it to the basket
-Finishes like a monster
-Is built like a gorilla from his strength to his knuckles dragging against the ground due to his length
-Overall just a very skilled offensive player
-Great hairline with Young Kobe Afro-potential
-Just stupid athletic
-Rebounding
-High, high ceiling
Weaknesses/Questions
-Defense
-Fouls too much
-Conditioning is horrible
-Needs to lose weight
-Is the shoulder going to be an issue?
Synopsis: You can just watch some of the flashes of potential the Bennett has been showing between his freshman season at UNLV and his first few preseason games and realize that there’s a great chance that he becomes an all-star. Where do I start? First off, his jump shot is more impressive than almost any other PF in the league. After Dirk and Love, I can’t think of any other PF whose overall jump-shooting ability (not just 3-pt shooting) is significantly better. He can shoot the three, fade-aways, off-the-dribble, and turn-around jump shots and make them all look pretty. He’s got picture-perfect form. If you watched the game against the Magic, then you’d know his potential on offense is off the charts. Next, his overall offensive game is like that of a SF. This is both good and bad. On one end, it makes it very hard for other PFs to keep up with him. However, he is also lacking the post game that could make him dominant inside due to his size. With how strong he is, he could back down just about anyone in the league not named Howard (maybe even then).
Beyond his offense, his athleticism is off the charts. Although he doesn’t necessarily show it, Bennett has a 39-inch max vertical, which makes Bennett the 2nd player to ever have such a vertical for a player of his weight (the other is Mason Plumlee). That puts Bennett’s max reach around 12’1”, which is elite for any position. He basically moves like a guard. Combine that with his gorilla-like strength and length, he really isn’t undersize for the PF position at all. Wine and Gold has reported that Tristan, who is clearly two inches taller than Bennett, has no advantage of him in practice. If you don’t want to take his word for it, just rewatch the preseason game against Detroit that aired on 10/17/13 around the 4:00 minute marker in the 4th quarter, where Bennett is guarding the 6’11”, 260lb Greg Monroe in the post. Monroe failed to budge Bennett even an inch, which led to him taking shots he didn’t want to take. I can’t stress Bennett’s potential for post defense, a post game on offense, and rebounding in general enough due to his length, size, and strength/athleticism/feel for the game.
However, Bennett just came off of a shoulder injury and 5 months of no basketball. He is still pretty out-of-shape. Actually, he’s really out of shape. He won’t be seeing too many minutes until this is fixed. Also, his defense needs work if he is to see significant play time as well. Not to mention that he needs to foul a lot less if he wants to not foul out. A common foul for Bennett is the moving screen (btw, feel sorry for anyone who is on the receiving end of a Bennett screen or pick). In the end, expect Bennett to get significant playing time off the bench and possibly transition into the starting role as the season wears on.
Andrew "Pro Bowler" Bynum
Strengths:
-7’2”7-2.5” in shoes (reportedly was 7’1” in bare feet after his rookie season since he measured in at 7’0.25” in bare feet at draft time and grew .75” over the course of his rookie season), 285 lbs. Basically just a monster
-Damn good athleticism when healthy
-Rebounding
-Defense ain’t bad either
-Post game to die for
-Fair jumper with super high release point
Weaknesses/Questions
-Maturity
-Health?
-Will he stay long-term if healthy?
Synopsis: This past off-season, the Cavs acquired their biggest-name free agent ever in Andrew Bynum. The good news? He was an all-star within the past 2 years and is the exact kind of guy that you want manning the middle. The bad news? He hasn’t played professional basketball in 16 months. Andrew Bynum was signed to a 2-year, 24m deal with only 6m guaranteed and multiple exit points for the Cavs in case things go sour.
However, Bynum has recently sounded healthier than he has since the 2011-2012 season due to recent news reporting as such. If Bynum returns to anything close to his previous form, he could take the Cavs to 50+ wins and perhaps the 5th seed or higher. Don’t forget that he was arguably the best center in basketball before getting injured. Combine that with a superstar PG and a shit-ton of young talent and strong depth, and you could have yourself a playoff team with semi-finals potential. That’s a big “if,” however. Some more good news includes the fact that various sources have been reporting that Bynum is rather healthy as was seen when he was bumping around the post with Potty Pot before the preseason game against the Detroit Pistons. Those same reports were saying that Bynum could play for the season opener. It sounds too good to be true, so maybe we should assume as such until he actually does AND doesn't collapse in swelling and pain. :chuckles:
Anderson "Wild Thang" Varejao
Strengths:
-Plays winning basketball
-Great veteran presence
-Defense
-Great hair
-High energy
-Phenomenal rebounder
-Great passing big man
-High basketball IQ
Weaknesses/Questions
-Bad injury history/injury prone
-Not very athletic
-Doesn’t spread the floor well although he has actually gotten a lot better at this
Synopsis: Anderson Varejao is the last player remaining from the pre-decision era. Originally a 2nd-round pick that was traded as an afterthought to the Cavs, Andy has turned into arguably a top 10 big man when healthy if not better. Last season, Andy averaged 14ppg/14rpg/4apg while providing great defense and a great veteran presence. He would have likely made the all-star team had he not gotten injured. However, for a 3rd season in a row, Andy got injured about 1/3 the way through the season. Furthermore, a life-threatening blood clot killed any chances of him coming back last season.
The good news is that Varejao is seemingly back to his good ole’ self, playing preseason games like a playoff game. Between Andy, Bynum, TZ, and Sims, our deepest position is the center position. This is good, for it allows Andy and Bynum to have their minutes cut in order to keep them both healthy. Expect Andy to either start or come off the bench, but play a big role this season in our success. Don’t be surprised if he logs heavy minutes, however. He injuries have all been different ones, so nothing has been a chronic injury. He also provides the MOST chemistry out of any other player on the team. He is literally our glue guy. It might be hard to bench him.
Tyler "Ivory Tower" Zeller
Strengths:
-Cutest excited look you ever done saw. Dooooohh
-Jump shot
-Basketball IQ
-Post game
-Off the ball ain’t so bad
-Draws lots of offensive fouls
Weaknesses/Questions
-Is literally a gigantic vagina
-No, but seriously, he needs to get tougher
-Defense
-Rebounding
-Strength
Synopsis: Tyler Zeller is not a bad player. He is actually rather skilled between his jump shot and post skills. He even draws lots of charges on defense. He just needs to get stronger and exert himself in the post. That weakness pretty much ruined him his rookie season because it made his post game, defense, and rebounding all ineffective. He looks to be much stronger this year, but will it be enough to get him any minutes? With Bynum sounding healthier than expected, he might find it hard to get any minutes if he if he is the 5th big, which sucks because I could actually see him flourishing in a backup center role. Although I’ll take Tristan, Bennett, Andy, and Bynum any day over him.
Henry "Secretly better than Zeller" Sims
Strengths:
-Is 6’10”, can walk, and chew gum all at the same time
-Has significantly improved his rebounding
-Has a pretty good jumper
-Defense isn’t terrible
Weaknesses/Questions
-Consistency?
-Does he have a future on this team, or is he just filler for injuries?
Synopsis: With the injury history of Bynum and Varejao, Sims seems poised to make the roster since all that would be left to play the center position if both of those players go down is the Ivory Tower and Thompson, who is more of a PF. Sims has looked promising for that 15th spot. My only complaint is that I wish he were bigger, but he has length on his side and plays bigger than Zeller. He’s a big who can defend and has a jumper. That kind of player has a spot on just about any roster. Don't be surprised if he usurps the almighty Zeller for the 5th big man spot.
Projection
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a wider variety of possible outcomes than any other team in the NBA. This is due to several factors. Firstly, we have many players who have an injury history. It is hard to determine how much of the time missed for each player was due to injury and how much was due to tanking (except for Bynum, who definitely sat out last season solely due to injury), but injury proneness is definitely a concern. We could injure ourselves right out of the playoffs. Secondly, we have more young talent that is further from their ceilings than any other team in the NBA. That means that it is not exactly known what to expect from many of our players this coming season. Lastly, we nearly have an entire new coaching staff, which is yet another moving part in the equation of figuring out where the Cavaliers will land.
Best-case scenario:
Kyrie ascends to a superstar level this season and contends for top 5 in MVP voting and 1st or 2nd team All-NBA, at least one of Dion, Tristan, or Bennett also make the all-star team or come really close to it, Varejao returns to his all-star-caliber play, Bynum comes back in, say, December and plays ~25 minutes per game at a level of 75% or higher of his previous self, our bench players all play well as well, and everyone buys into Mike Brown’s defense. 50+ wins. 50+ wins sounds impossible, but this is if everything goes perfect, so it’s not likely. With the recent news that Bynum is healthier and further along in his recovery process than most outside of the close circle expected, things could go better than most planned. Don’t underestimate what kind of damage a combination of a top-5 PG and top-2 or 3 could do together on a team, not to mention with all of the other talent we have. Some analysts have been talking about winning 5th seed, and I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility if we get a healthy Bynum.
Worst-case scenario:
Kyrie misses significant play time (30+ games) and fails to take the next step in development, Varejao finds out that he is no longer fit to play and gets injured and is out for the season yet again early on, Bynum doesn’t play, and we struggle to find an identity as a team, failing to build chemistry and play defense. Throw in another injury like Dion or Bennett, and you have yourselves a 32-win team or something like that.
Most likely scenario:
It’s hard to gauge what this would look like. I can’t think of any team in recent history that has a wider set of possible outcomes than the Cavs. I can’t say for sure what will happen, but I feel like we will hit somewhere between the 6th-8th seed since those seeds are wide open, and we’re prime to make the jump. My realistic, yet still high expectation is that the Cavs make the 6th seed. They have better talent and depth than any other Eastern Conference team other than Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Brooklyn, and New York, so the 6th seed should be our lofty, yet still realistic goal for the season.
Key Factors to Success:
Health.
With Kyrie, Andy, Bynum and even a few other players all having varying levels of health issues, our team’s success or demise will be dependent on having our top three players healthy. If they all are healthy for a full season, I wouldn’t put it past the Cavs to pull off 50 wins. If they all miss significant playing time, less than 35 wins is possible.
Progression of the young bloods.
We have most of our players under the age of 25 with our oldest player being Andy (31). That’s a really, really young team, which means that, unlike Brooklyn, most of our most talented players are only getting more talented. Will they make only small jumps, or will we have 2+ all-stars out of the group?
Defense.
With a new coaching staff on board including the winningest coach in Cavaliers history, Mike Brown, defense will be (or at least is supposed to be) a thing again for the Cavs for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. However, few players on our team understand what it means/takes to play elite defense, which I’m sure is a goal of Brown’s. Will his defensive prowess be on full display between our new, long, young, athletic roster, or will our youth be the bane of our defensive existence?
Chemistry.
Not only was defense not really a thing with the Cavs this past three seasons, neither was offense. Although we had several talented offensive players this past season like Kyrie and Dion, most of their scoring was in isolation, and, unless you’re Kyrie Irving, iso-ball doesn’t bode well for efficiency. Will Dion learn the 2-guard position? Will Tristan learn how to play in the flow of the offense? Will we get some more assisting from Kyrie and some more off-the-ball play from him as well? The good news is that all of these things look like they’re already happening based off what we have already seen in the preseason games.
The small forward position.
It’s like a black hole, and we have no great options outside of perhaps Bennett, who Brown refuses to put there for the time being. Will one of our players step up and at least be the classic 3 and D that we ask of him?
The Coaching staff.
Other than Jamal Mosley, I’m not sure who we kept. Almost everyone is new. Another thing is that we have almost one coach per two players, which is unusual. That’s a lot of coaches. Regardless, those of us who have watched the Brown 1.0-era playoffs remember what seemed to be a lack of in-game adjustments. Regardless of whether or not it was Brown’s fault or if it was Ferry’s fault for giving Mike a team with which he actually outperformed is up for debate, but the new coaching staff is just another new factor for us that could drastically change our team’s future for better or for worse.
Chris Grant.
What will he do? What philosophy will he maintain starting this year? Chris Grant is finally in a fun time during his time with the Cavs. Possibly his first since becoming a GM. However, with this fun comes a lot of decisions. We arguably have the most young talent out of any team. Will he let that talent develop, or will he sell high before any of that talent gives other teams a reason to not want them? Also, will we maintain the flexibility to sign a big-name free agent next off-season? *cough* LeBron *cough* It was not by accident that the Cavs have much of their team in expiring contracts. If we build an enticing enough team, we could attract a difference maker (who doesn't have health issues) for the first time ever.
Cavs Girls
(Some of these are old, but who really gives a shit? Tits and ass are tits and ass.)
Playoffs God's Blessing
I, the Almighty, Omniscient Playoffs God, hereby bless the Cleveland Cavaliers for the entire season with the intention of allowing them to make the playoffs and giving the fans a HELLUVA season. May no player miss significant playing time. Furthermore, may all of the young bloods progress heavily and swiftly, building chemistry and knowledge of the game over the season. The cap on the Cavaliers is gone! Go, and be blessed my children!
LET'S GO CAVS!
Sorry for the late preview, guys. I lost my entire preview when my computer went down, so this one is a completely new one. Although I am an avid photoshopper, I didn’t have much time to do that due to my desktop going on the fritz, so I decided to opt on content over flash, which I’m sure you all care about more anyway. Anyhow, without further ado.
Introduction
The Cleveland Cavaliers have suffered dearly since LeBron left in the off-season of 2010. We Danny Ferry and Mike Brown exited, and in came Chris Grant and Byron Scott. The Cavs then commenced to tank at unprecedented levels, and they do not go without getting rewarded. They had tank masters, lingering injuries, and a complete lack of coaching or a game plan. Three years of all of that, no less, but here comes the fun part. In 2011, they drafted Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. In 2012, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller. In 2013, Anthony Bennett, Sergey Karasev, and Carrick Felix. All of these players thus far have, for the most part, shown a lot of promise. Additionally they have stockpiled a treasure chest of assets (mostly picks) that could make any other team jealous thanks to Chris Grant’s favorably lopsided trades. In come veterans Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, and Andrew Bynum along with some possible 14th and 15th players like Matthew Dellavedova. And there you have your current Cleveland Cavaliers.
Salary Information
Assets
Source: http://realcavsfans.com/showthread....14-Salary-Trade-Assets-and-Future-Draft-Picks
Please be sure to thank those involved in the making of the information I provided in the quotes if you haven't already.
Additions
Anthony Bennett, Sergey Karasev, Carrick Felix, Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, Andrew Bynum
Likely: Matthew Dellavedova, Henry Sims
Subtractions
Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi, Wayne Ellington, Shaun Livingston, Kevin Jones, Chris Quinn, Marreese Speights, Luke Walton
Depth chart:
PG: Kyrie, Jack, Dellavedova
SG: Dion, Jack, Miles, Karasev, Felix
SF: Clark, Miles, Karasev, Gee, Felix
PF: Thompson, Bennett, Zeller, Sims
C: Bynum, Varejao, Zeller, Sims
Player/Coach Previews
Mike Brown
(Sorry, the jaded Lakers fans gave me way too many gifs to choose from. :chuckles
Strengths:
-Player's coach
-Strong winning history
-Comes from the Poppovich tree
-Defense
-Making adjustments from game to game
Weaknesses/Questions
-Will he be able to make in-game adjustments especially in the playoffs?
-Will he handle Kyrie better than he handled LeBron?
-How good will the offense be?
Synopsis: He's back. In Brown. Mike Brown is one of the few coaches to be rehired be his old team. Evidently, the front office regretted ever having let go of Mike Brown. Was it a mistake? No. Not in the end. Without Brown leaving, he probably doesn't grow like he did, nor do we get Kyrie or some of the other good, young players that we have. Brown leaving for three seasons and coming back actually was rather perfect because the Cavs needed a tank driver, and Brown is not the best tank driver. Byron "Folded Arms" Scott, however, had no trouble failing to implement no offensive or defensive scheme, which allowed the Cavs to tank at unprecedented levels.
Back to Brown. He is exactly what this team needs. Brown has never really been a situation where he could mold the team to whatever he wanted, but he will get to do exactly that with this team. If you read between the lines, you can see that Mike Brown was made for this type of situation and that he will thrive in it. Mike Brown building a team from the ground up will go far, whereas him coming into an already built, veteran team does not give him the freedom to work like he could with a young team. Guys are set into their ways, the FO asks him to do another thing, and so on and so forth. Not this time. Mike Brown is the man in charge, and things will go exactly as he guides them.
Some criticisms of Brown 1.0 include how he lacked an offensive scheme and how he lacked the ability to make in-game adjustments in order to keep leads. We would notoriously have terrible third quarters in the playoffs, which would lead to massive leads being gone within minutes. Some argue against that, saying that Mike Brown maximized what he could get out of the LeBron-era teams and that he had nothing to adjust with because no other option was better at the time. Regardless, Brown has grown a lot since the 2009-2010 season. He has a new swag. You can see it in his speech and how he carries himself. His growth should hopefully put those concerns to rest. Not to mention that we now have the assistant coach responsible for the ungodly offense that the Suns enjoyed with Nash and Stoudemire, Igor Kokoskov. Add in the strong team of coaches that were also assembled, Bernie Bickerstaff, Jim Boylan, Bret Brielmaier, Phil Handy, and Jamahl Mosley, and you have yourself a coaching staff that can help cover any deficiencies that Mike Brown may still have.
Look for Brown to win coach of the year again (is that even a good thing?!) due to the large jump in wins that we'll likely see.
Kyrie "Uncle Drew" Irving
Strengths:
-Transcendent in all aspects of scoring
-Playmaking
-Basketball IQ
-Clutchness
-Best handles in the league
-Schooling them young bloods
-Not yet at his ceiling
Weaknesses/Questions
-Defense. Will he pick it up this year and be the “head of the snake”?
-His playmaking is good, but can it be great? Chris Paul-level?
-Injuries. Will he stay healthy this season?
-Conditioning. It looks like it finally will not be an issue.
Synopsis: Kyrie Irving is a transcendent player. I have never seen a player this overall more skilled. His basketball IQ is off the charts. His is looking to be the MVP this season as he shared with the media this coming season, and, although I am not sure if he can do it this season, I believe he has the talent to do it eventually. If Rose can do it, he can. Kyrie is looking to be the leader of this team this season. He has shied from this role somewhat these past two seasons, but he seems ready to take on that role this season if you base that opinion on how he has taken action in leading the team this off-season in practices and work ethic.
His defense is still a question this coming season. However, he has already played better defense in these two preseason games than he has at any time during his first two seasons. The same goes for his conditioning. It is looking like less of a question this coming season. Some have complained that he is only a scorer, but when you’re that good at scoring, and when you have few options to which you can pass, who could blame him? I expect his playmaking skills to really be in full display this coming season. Look for him to make the ascension into the 2nd Team All-NBA this coming season if all goes well.
Jarrett "Where the fuck did my eyes go?" Jack
Strengths:
-Scoring
-Ball Handling
-Sexy Mustache that says, “hey, I got experience, but I can still do it!”
-Mentoring
-Ain’t got no time for Kyrie and Dion’s bullshit
Weaknesses/Questions
-Chest bumps like an old man
-Prone to chucking at times
-Defense is questionable
Synopsis: Jarrett Jack was signed this past off-season to be our 6th man. However, I would argue that he was really signed for his mentoring for Kyrie and Dion more so than his scoring off the bench. So much of our team is invested in our starting backcourt of the future in Kyrie and Dion, so bringing in Jack made a lot of sense due to how good of a mentor he is. He holds players accountable in a tough love sense, and he also can still play at a high level himself, so it lends to his credibility and authority in speaking to Kyrie and Dion.
Beyond his mentoring, Jack makes for the perfect 3-guard rotation, for he can play either PG or SG due to his passing and scoring abilities. Another nice thing is that, if Kyrie goes down, we have an arguably top 15 PG to fill in that position. That makes the Jack signing all the more valuable since Kyrie has missed significant playing time both of these past two seasons. It is pretty established that Jack will play mostly SG when Kyrie is on the floor, but he will play PG while Dion is on the floor. Expect him to back up both players.
Matthew "Delly" Dellavedova
Strengths:
-Can shoot the 3-ball
-High basketball IQ
-Makes the right play
-Floor general
Weaknesses/Questions
-Athleticism
-Defense
-Not the most skilled guy in the world
Synopsis: Matthew Dellavedova holds the NCAA record for most cumulative minutes played in NCAA basketball with 4,944 minutes played in 4 seasons. Why is this important? Over Kyrie’s first two seasons, he missed out on 38 games of basketball. If Kyrie goes down this season, the Cavs will need a point guard to fill the backup role. A reliable one. And not just in durability, but someone who fits within the context of the team. If called upon, Dellavedova’s role would be floor general, defense, and 3-pt shooting when necessary. He won’t ever wow you with his below average athleticism or mediocre skills, but his decision making is what is going to keep him in that 3rd PG spot. Additionally, being Australian didn’t hurt either. Expect Delly to make the team, but be sent to the Canton Charge until needed.
Dion "AND ONE!" Waiters
Strengths:
-Athleticism and strength
-Driving and scoring
-Catch’n’shoot 3
-Swag
-Is crispy
-Playmaking (could be a point guard)
-Throws awesome parties
Weaknesses/Questions
-Decision-making
-Shot selection
-Defense
-Finishing
-Balding
-Doesn't do himself any favors with the refs with calling "and one!"
Synopsis: Dion is probably the biggest question mark in terms of how good he will end up being. We’re pretty sure that Kyrie will fall into a top 10, top 5 player if not better. Tristan will likely fall in the realm of starter-quality (which he’s already hit) to almost all-star or low-level all-star a few times. You can just watch Bennett and know that he’s going to probably be an all-star. But with Dion, you see the all-star potential, but you’re just not sure if he will put it all together.
He’s almost as good at getting to the hoop as Kyrie, but his finishing needs work. I think that things slowing down for him will make a big difference this year. I think things slowing down for him will also help with his decision-making, shot selection, and defense as well. If anyone is going to help Dion reach his ceiling, it’s the Mike Brown and Jarrett Jack combo. Brown is the nurturer and teacher, and Jarrett is the accountabilabuddy who won’t take his shit. If you’ve been watching these past couple of preseason games, Dion looks better than ever in all aspects of his game. From his new-found body and athleticism to his better decision-making and shot selection, I have come away impressed.
Oh, and thank God Mike Brown told Dion he can only bring the ball up the floor if he rebounds it! Genius! :chuckles:
CJ "Chuck Jumpers" Miles
Strengths:
-Catch’n’shoot 3s
-Great shocked emotion
-Pretty athletic
Weaknesses/Questions
-Defense
-Has never seen a shot he didn’t like
-Is he balding or just have a high hairline?
Synopsis: CJ Miles is actually one of the better contracts on our team, having signed a 2-year, 4m deal last season. He can catch and shoot as well as any player, has good size for the 2 and can play the 3, is pretty athletic, and he can even defend has he has shown with Mike Brown. He struggled somewhat this past season, but, without being given a concise role with which to work, he got lost. I see Miles performing much better this coming season, possibly even starting at the 3 if Clark fails to live up to expectations, which aren’t that lofty considering that Gee has been regressing for a while now.
Sergey "The Shot Maker" Karasev
Strengths:
-Elite shooter
-Great size for 2 and can play 3
-Ball handling
-Playmaking
-Comes from a great lineage of basketball (Dad is best Russian PG of all time)
-Still only 19
Weaknesses/Questions
-Athleticism/Strength
-Defense
Synopsis: I’ll tell you what. You can tell he’s been playing professional basketball for quite some time because he is the most composed 19-year-old I’ve seen on this team since our now all-star PG Kyrie entered the Cavs scene. As some have said, Karasev has shown lottery talent thus far. His jump shot is so beautiful. His passes are also equally breath-taking. In fact, some teammates don’t even expect them since they’re so out of nowhere (as we saw in the 10/17/13 game vs. Detroit). His defense also has not been horrible. It is still average at best, but it isn’t awful like one would expect from a guy who looks like he belongs in front of a help desk.
Long story short, you can just tell that the guy gets it. Reportedly, Sergey was originally intended for the D-League, but he is making it hard to do that. Don’t be surprised if he takes over the reserve SG/SF role over Miles/Gee or even starts at some point. His game fits in perfectly between his elite shooting skills and well above average passing ability. Steal of the draft?
Carrick "The Cat" Felix
Strengths:
-Defense
-Athleticism
-Does the little things
-Played four years of college ball
-Maturity
-Rebounding
-Good hair cut
Weaknesses/Questions
-Needs to work on offense like ball handling and shooting
-Not much of a play maker either
-He’s already 23, so his ceiling is lower than other players on our team
Synopsis: Call him the Alonzo Gee replacement. There is nothing that Alonzo Gee can do that this guy can’t. He’s already a better defender than the regressing Gee, and his ceiling is also higher. He also isn’t an idiot with the ball and can actually catch it. He plays within himself and rarely looks lost. He always goes hard. He'll sacrifice himself for the team. He is already our best wing defender and might be used in spot situations throughout the season, but don’t expect him to get regular playing time. It's a sad reality, but expect him to be sent to the D-league to work on his offense.
Earl "Two first names" Clark
Strengths:
-Big-ass SF
-Defense
-Rebounds well for SF
-Can play PF
Weaknesses/Questions
-Will he be better than Alonzo Gee?
-Will he spread the floor well enough for our guards?
Synopsis: Clark was our 3rd-biggest free agent this past off-season and is yet another fix-a-flat for our leaking small forward position. He’s like a bigger Alonzo Gee. But he seems more promising because he can fit within the SF 3’n’D role more easily than Gee, who thinks he’s Corey Maggette and can barge into the lane and score at will. Allegedly Brown believes that Clark has the potential to be the next Channing Frye, where he can be this big guy who magically develops a great 3-pt shot. Although I doubt that happens, he should be our starting small forward for at least a good chunk of the season until Mike Brown inevitably gets tired of him and starts about 5 other players including Moondog at the 3-spot.
Alonzo "Don't give a fuck" Gee
Strengths:
- . . . Dunking?
Weaknesses/Questions
-Don’t get me started
Synopsis: I’m pretty much over Gee. I was originally somewhat excited, kinda like, “hey, it’s somewhat of a nice thing that we found a medium-low return on a low-risk project.” Gee topped out in the 2011-2012/2012-2013 seasons, offering good defense, rebounding, and energy. But he never developed that 3-pt shot. Then his already bad ball handling and decision making just got worse and worse. He just never seemed satisfied with his role. I hope he doesn’t get any playing time or is chosen over Karasev or anything like that. The Alonzo Gee experiment is over. We have Waiters, Jack, Karasev, Clark, Miles, Felix, and even Jermaine Taylor (although he likely won’t make the team), all of whom are better options than Gee at the 2 and 3 positions. Pray that Gee is phased out into the 11-15 spots on the team and that Karasev gets some playing time in the regular rotation.
Tristan "Which hand am I supposed to shoot with again?" Thompson
Wait, what?
Strengths:
-Great character
-High work ethic
-Great rebounder
-Good post moves
-Athletic/runs floor well
-Defense
-Underrated passer
Weaknesses/Questions
-Jump shot. Could this be the year that he finally develops one?
-Free throw % still needs to improve. Looks like he will likely break 70% this year.
-Could use some more strength and size
Synopsis: It’s kinda funny to think about how robotic Tristan looked his rookie season. He had little to no post moves. He had like 2 assists after a large amount of games. He was too weak to defend much of anyone with strength. His defensive rebounding was poor. His offense in general was terrible. Some were thinking that he would be nothing more than an energy big and that we had wasted our coveted 4th pick on such.
Fast forward two seasons, and we have a player who is looking this coming season to have 12 rebounds per 36 potential with great defensive rebounding ability, a pretty good post game with the ability to finish with both hands, deceptively good ball handling for a PF, 70-80% FT after shooting 48% in college, 2-4 assists per 36, and at least some form of a jump shot, and here’s the kicker, after SWITCHING shooting hands. This is literally unprecedented in basketball, and it is working so far. Tristan shot 78% FT in his time with the Canadian basketball team this off-season with his RIGHT hand after shooting lefty for 22 years. Then he hit an off-the-dribble jumper in a preseason game against Detroit. He has literally transformed from an awkward player to a rather competent power forward, who, by the way, might now have center-esque length?! Yeah. Although this is unconfirmed, it’s pretty obvious that he has grown probably an inch or two and is in the 6’9”-6’10” range.
Anyhow, expect Tristan to start this season, play all 82 games, and probably lead the team in minutes played. He is as reliable as they come. Glad to have him.
Anthony "Just one more hamburger" Bennett
Strengths:
-Top-3 jump shot form on the team and just a phenomenal shooter in general
-Ball handling
-Can take it to the basket
-Finishes like a monster
-Is built like a gorilla from his strength to his knuckles dragging against the ground due to his length
-Overall just a very skilled offensive player
-Great hairline with Young Kobe Afro-potential
-Just stupid athletic
-Rebounding
-High, high ceiling
Weaknesses/Questions
-Defense
-Fouls too much
-Conditioning is horrible
-Needs to lose weight
-Is the shoulder going to be an issue?
Synopsis: You can just watch some of the flashes of potential the Bennett has been showing between his freshman season at UNLV and his first few preseason games and realize that there’s a great chance that he becomes an all-star. Where do I start? First off, his jump shot is more impressive than almost any other PF in the league. After Dirk and Love, I can’t think of any other PF whose overall jump-shooting ability (not just 3-pt shooting) is significantly better. He can shoot the three, fade-aways, off-the-dribble, and turn-around jump shots and make them all look pretty. He’s got picture-perfect form. If you watched the game against the Magic, then you’d know his potential on offense is off the charts. Next, his overall offensive game is like that of a SF. This is both good and bad. On one end, it makes it very hard for other PFs to keep up with him. However, he is also lacking the post game that could make him dominant inside due to his size. With how strong he is, he could back down just about anyone in the league not named Howard (maybe even then).
Beyond his offense, his athleticism is off the charts. Although he doesn’t necessarily show it, Bennett has a 39-inch max vertical, which makes Bennett the 2nd player to ever have such a vertical for a player of his weight (the other is Mason Plumlee). That puts Bennett’s max reach around 12’1”, which is elite for any position. He basically moves like a guard. Combine that with his gorilla-like strength and length, he really isn’t undersize for the PF position at all. Wine and Gold has reported that Tristan, who is clearly two inches taller than Bennett, has no advantage of him in practice. If you don’t want to take his word for it, just rewatch the preseason game against Detroit that aired on 10/17/13 around the 4:00 minute marker in the 4th quarter, where Bennett is guarding the 6’11”, 260lb Greg Monroe in the post. Monroe failed to budge Bennett even an inch, which led to him taking shots he didn’t want to take. I can’t stress Bennett’s potential for post defense, a post game on offense, and rebounding in general enough due to his length, size, and strength/athleticism/feel for the game.
However, Bennett just came off of a shoulder injury and 5 months of no basketball. He is still pretty out-of-shape. Actually, he’s really out of shape. He won’t be seeing too many minutes until this is fixed. Also, his defense needs work if he is to see significant play time as well. Not to mention that he needs to foul a lot less if he wants to not foul out. A common foul for Bennett is the moving screen (btw, feel sorry for anyone who is on the receiving end of a Bennett screen or pick). In the end, expect Bennett to get significant playing time off the bench and possibly transition into the starting role as the season wears on.
Andrew "Pro Bowler" Bynum
Strengths:
-7’2”7-2.5” in shoes (reportedly was 7’1” in bare feet after his rookie season since he measured in at 7’0.25” in bare feet at draft time and grew .75” over the course of his rookie season), 285 lbs. Basically just a monster
-Damn good athleticism when healthy
-Rebounding
-Defense ain’t bad either
-Post game to die for
-Fair jumper with super high release point
Weaknesses/Questions
-Maturity
-Health?
-Will he stay long-term if healthy?
Synopsis: This past off-season, the Cavs acquired their biggest-name free agent ever in Andrew Bynum. The good news? He was an all-star within the past 2 years and is the exact kind of guy that you want manning the middle. The bad news? He hasn’t played professional basketball in 16 months. Andrew Bynum was signed to a 2-year, 24m deal with only 6m guaranteed and multiple exit points for the Cavs in case things go sour.
However, Bynum has recently sounded healthier than he has since the 2011-2012 season due to recent news reporting as such. If Bynum returns to anything close to his previous form, he could take the Cavs to 50+ wins and perhaps the 5th seed or higher. Don’t forget that he was arguably the best center in basketball before getting injured. Combine that with a superstar PG and a shit-ton of young talent and strong depth, and you could have yourself a playoff team with semi-finals potential. That’s a big “if,” however. Some more good news includes the fact that various sources have been reporting that Bynum is rather healthy as was seen when he was bumping around the post with Potty Pot before the preseason game against the Detroit Pistons. Those same reports were saying that Bynum could play for the season opener. It sounds too good to be true, so maybe we should assume as such until he actually does AND doesn't collapse in swelling and pain. :chuckles:
Anderson "Wild Thang" Varejao
Strengths:
-Plays winning basketball
-Great veteran presence
-Defense
-Great hair
-High energy
-Phenomenal rebounder
-Great passing big man
-High basketball IQ
Weaknesses/Questions
-Bad injury history/injury prone
-Not very athletic
-Doesn’t spread the floor well although he has actually gotten a lot better at this
Synopsis: Anderson Varejao is the last player remaining from the pre-decision era. Originally a 2nd-round pick that was traded as an afterthought to the Cavs, Andy has turned into arguably a top 10 big man when healthy if not better. Last season, Andy averaged 14ppg/14rpg/4apg while providing great defense and a great veteran presence. He would have likely made the all-star team had he not gotten injured. However, for a 3rd season in a row, Andy got injured about 1/3 the way through the season. Furthermore, a life-threatening blood clot killed any chances of him coming back last season.
The good news is that Varejao is seemingly back to his good ole’ self, playing preseason games like a playoff game. Between Andy, Bynum, TZ, and Sims, our deepest position is the center position. This is good, for it allows Andy and Bynum to have their minutes cut in order to keep them both healthy. Expect Andy to either start or come off the bench, but play a big role this season in our success. Don’t be surprised if he logs heavy minutes, however. He injuries have all been different ones, so nothing has been a chronic injury. He also provides the MOST chemistry out of any other player on the team. He is literally our glue guy. It might be hard to bench him.
Tyler "Ivory Tower" Zeller
Strengths:
-Cutest excited look you ever done saw. Dooooohh
-Jump shot
-Basketball IQ
-Post game
-Off the ball ain’t so bad
-Draws lots of offensive fouls
Weaknesses/Questions
-Is literally a gigantic vagina
-No, but seriously, he needs to get tougher
-Defense
-Rebounding
-Strength
Synopsis: Tyler Zeller is not a bad player. He is actually rather skilled between his jump shot and post skills. He even draws lots of charges on defense. He just needs to get stronger and exert himself in the post. That weakness pretty much ruined him his rookie season because it made his post game, defense, and rebounding all ineffective. He looks to be much stronger this year, but will it be enough to get him any minutes? With Bynum sounding healthier than expected, he might find it hard to get any minutes if he if he is the 5th big, which sucks because I could actually see him flourishing in a backup center role. Although I’ll take Tristan, Bennett, Andy, and Bynum any day over him.
Henry "Secretly better than Zeller" Sims
Strengths:
-Is 6’10”, can walk, and chew gum all at the same time
-Has significantly improved his rebounding
-Has a pretty good jumper
-Defense isn’t terrible
Weaknesses/Questions
-Consistency?
-Does he have a future on this team, or is he just filler for injuries?
Synopsis: With the injury history of Bynum and Varejao, Sims seems poised to make the roster since all that would be left to play the center position if both of those players go down is the Ivory Tower and Thompson, who is more of a PF. Sims has looked promising for that 15th spot. My only complaint is that I wish he were bigger, but he has length on his side and plays bigger than Zeller. He’s a big who can defend and has a jumper. That kind of player has a spot on just about any roster. Don't be surprised if he usurps the almighty Zeller for the 5th big man spot.
Projection
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a wider variety of possible outcomes than any other team in the NBA. This is due to several factors. Firstly, we have many players who have an injury history. It is hard to determine how much of the time missed for each player was due to injury and how much was due to tanking (except for Bynum, who definitely sat out last season solely due to injury), but injury proneness is definitely a concern. We could injure ourselves right out of the playoffs. Secondly, we have more young talent that is further from their ceilings than any other team in the NBA. That means that it is not exactly known what to expect from many of our players this coming season. Lastly, we nearly have an entire new coaching staff, which is yet another moving part in the equation of figuring out where the Cavaliers will land.
Best-case scenario:
Kyrie ascends to a superstar level this season and contends for top 5 in MVP voting and 1st or 2nd team All-NBA, at least one of Dion, Tristan, or Bennett also make the all-star team or come really close to it, Varejao returns to his all-star-caliber play, Bynum comes back in, say, December and plays ~25 minutes per game at a level of 75% or higher of his previous self, our bench players all play well as well, and everyone buys into Mike Brown’s defense. 50+ wins. 50+ wins sounds impossible, but this is if everything goes perfect, so it’s not likely. With the recent news that Bynum is healthier and further along in his recovery process than most outside of the close circle expected, things could go better than most planned. Don’t underestimate what kind of damage a combination of a top-5 PG and top-2 or 3 could do together on a team, not to mention with all of the other talent we have. Some analysts have been talking about winning 5th seed, and I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility if we get a healthy Bynum.
Worst-case scenario:
Kyrie misses significant play time (30+ games) and fails to take the next step in development, Varejao finds out that he is no longer fit to play and gets injured and is out for the season yet again early on, Bynum doesn’t play, and we struggle to find an identity as a team, failing to build chemistry and play defense. Throw in another injury like Dion or Bennett, and you have yourselves a 32-win team or something like that.
Most likely scenario:
It’s hard to gauge what this would look like. I can’t think of any team in recent history that has a wider set of possible outcomes than the Cavs. I can’t say for sure what will happen, but I feel like we will hit somewhere between the 6th-8th seed since those seeds are wide open, and we’re prime to make the jump. My realistic, yet still high expectation is that the Cavs make the 6th seed. They have better talent and depth than any other Eastern Conference team other than Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Brooklyn, and New York, so the 6th seed should be our lofty, yet still realistic goal for the season.
Key Factors to Success:
Health.
With Kyrie, Andy, Bynum and even a few other players all having varying levels of health issues, our team’s success or demise will be dependent on having our top three players healthy. If they all are healthy for a full season, I wouldn’t put it past the Cavs to pull off 50 wins. If they all miss significant playing time, less than 35 wins is possible.
Progression of the young bloods.
We have most of our players under the age of 25 with our oldest player being Andy (31). That’s a really, really young team, which means that, unlike Brooklyn, most of our most talented players are only getting more talented. Will they make only small jumps, or will we have 2+ all-stars out of the group?
Defense.
With a new coaching staff on board including the winningest coach in Cavaliers history, Mike Brown, defense will be (or at least is supposed to be) a thing again for the Cavs for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. However, few players on our team understand what it means/takes to play elite defense, which I’m sure is a goal of Brown’s. Will his defensive prowess be on full display between our new, long, young, athletic roster, or will our youth be the bane of our defensive existence?
Chemistry.
Not only was defense not really a thing with the Cavs this past three seasons, neither was offense. Although we had several talented offensive players this past season like Kyrie and Dion, most of their scoring was in isolation, and, unless you’re Kyrie Irving, iso-ball doesn’t bode well for efficiency. Will Dion learn the 2-guard position? Will Tristan learn how to play in the flow of the offense? Will we get some more assisting from Kyrie and some more off-the-ball play from him as well? The good news is that all of these things look like they’re already happening based off what we have already seen in the preseason games.
The small forward position.
It’s like a black hole, and we have no great options outside of perhaps Bennett, who Brown refuses to put there for the time being. Will one of our players step up and at least be the classic 3 and D that we ask of him?
The Coaching staff.
Other than Jamal Mosley, I’m not sure who we kept. Almost everyone is new. Another thing is that we have almost one coach per two players, which is unusual. That’s a lot of coaches. Regardless, those of us who have watched the Brown 1.0-era playoffs remember what seemed to be a lack of in-game adjustments. Regardless of whether or not it was Brown’s fault or if it was Ferry’s fault for giving Mike a team with which he actually outperformed is up for debate, but the new coaching staff is just another new factor for us that could drastically change our team’s future for better or for worse.
Chris Grant.
What will he do? What philosophy will he maintain starting this year? Chris Grant is finally in a fun time during his time with the Cavs. Possibly his first since becoming a GM. However, with this fun comes a lot of decisions. We arguably have the most young talent out of any team. Will he let that talent develop, or will he sell high before any of that talent gives other teams a reason to not want them? Also, will we maintain the flexibility to sign a big-name free agent next off-season? *cough* LeBron *cough* It was not by accident that the Cavs have much of their team in expiring contracts. If we build an enticing enough team, we could attract a difference maker (who doesn't have health issues) for the first time ever.
Cavs Girls
(Some of these are old, but who really gives a shit? Tits and ass are tits and ass.)
Playoffs God's Blessing
I, the Almighty, Omniscient Playoffs God, hereby bless the Cleveland Cavaliers for the entire season with the intention of allowing them to make the playoffs and giving the fans a HELLUVA season. May no player miss significant playing time. Furthermore, may all of the young bloods progress heavily and swiftly, building chemistry and knowledge of the game over the season. The cap on the Cavaliers is gone! Go, and be blessed my children!
LET'S GO CAVS!
Last edited:
