A couple of weeks ago, after the Cleveland Cavaliers lost four in a row after the all-star break, we wrote that the wine and gold had a nice run, but they the lack of talent caught up with them.
However, six straight losses by the dysfunctional New York Knicks, coupled with a three game Cleveland winning streak, which included road wins at Denver and Oklahoma City, have put Byron Scott’s team right back in the mix for the post-season.
In fact, the Cavs sit just a game behind Milwaukee for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference after last night’s loss to Toronto.
The wine and gold have a chance to tie the Bucks tonight, with Milwaukee in a little state of flux after getting Monta Ellis (who won’t play tonight) from Golden State.
It still will be a long haul for Cleveland, mostly because the Bucks have the easiest schedule of the group of contenders, which also includes the Detroit Pistons.
With the NBA trade deadline here on Thursday afternoon, GM Chris Grant now has a quandary. Does he keep the team intact for a run at the playoffs or does he deal some veterans to get younger players and/or more draft picks?
We have never been on the “try to lose” bus that many Cavs’ fans are on, but Grant shouldn’t be keeping anyone to get the 8th seed.
Why?
The first reason is that the real stars of this team are rookie Kyrie Irving, who will most certainly be the NBA rookie of the year, and his coach, Byron Scott.
You get the feeling that even if Grant dealt Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions, Scott would keep the wine and gold competitive for the rest of the season, putting more on his best player. Remember, Scott should get Anderson Varejao as a reinforcement in the next couple of weeks to pick up some of the slack.
Besides, neither player is part of the future here. Jamison’s contract expires at the end of this season, and Sessions has a player option for next year which he certainly won’t pick up. He’s good enough to be a starter on many teams, but won’t be here because of Irving.
As a testament to the job Scott has done this year, please compare Cleveland’s roster to that of the Knicks, who have an almost identical record. New York coach Mike D’Antoni has Carmelo Anthony, A’mare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and the latest “it guy” in the league, Jeremy Lin.
The Cavs’ top four players are a rookie (Irving), a now injured big man (Varejao), Jamison, and their back up point guard (Sessions). Isn’t that reason enough to think ahead to bring more talent in for the coach to work with?
Unlike some teams, Grant, Scott, and the rest of the Cavalier organization have brought in players who will and can work together. They try to see if players can play together, and do what the coach demands, before bringing them in.
If the Cavs want to make the playoffs next year, a lottery pick will certainly help. But if there is no divine intervention, that choice will be in the 5-10 range. It’s unlikely they will get one of the top three players this summer.
So, they will fill one of their needs. They still need more help at the traditional scoring positions, #2 guard and small forward. They will have to get help there through trades. A top free agent probably isn’t signing here.
That’s why the Cavs need to make a move. They simply need more talent.
Imagine what Byron Scott and his rookie point guard can do with some more guys who can score.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 