Right now, the Cleveland Cavaliers are an injury riddled group, and it is reflected in the win-loss column.
The wine and gold broke a nine game losing streak by beating Toronto 84-80 last night, and have fallen to the fourth worst record in the NBA, something all of the fans who promote losing to get a better draft pick have to be excited about.
Before the trading deadline, the Cavs’ five best players were Kyrie Irving, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao, Ramon Sessions, and Alonzo Gee. Right now, only two are playing, Jamison and Gee, and the former hasn’t been shooting the ball well, last night notwithstanding. One can assume this is due to the absence of an experience point guard, because right now, D-League pick up Donald Sloan is getting the bulk of the minutes there.
Some idiots have questioned Byron Scott’s ability as a coach, failing to understand the Cavaliers stayed in the playoff hunt until the all-star game mostly because of Scott’s tutelage.
Sure, fans have disagreements with every coach, but most of those come from not understanding the game of basketball.
Still, thinking ahead to next fall, when Cleveland reports to training camp, there is likely to be about a 50% change in personnel. Therefore, GM Chris Grant and Scott will have more of an opportunity to mold the team in their image.
Of the starting lineup that the coach used when everyone was healthy (Irving, Anthony Parker, Jamison, Gee, and Varejao), at least two of those players will be elsewhere at the start of next year. Those two will be the eldest players, Parker and Jamison.
Jamison’s departure will be due to free agency, and will open up a starting spot for rookie Tristan Thompson at power forward. Thompson’s averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds per night in a little under 23 minutes per game. As a starter, he’s scoring 11 points and grabbing 7.3 boards per night.
Parker, also a free agent, will likely be replaced through the draft, probably with the wine and gold’s higher first round pick. Cleveland needs to get a player who can step right in and contribute immediately at the #2 guard, because Varejao and Thompson should be solid up front, and the new backcourt mate for Irving will be able to pick up Jamison’s scoring.
It is probable that only one of the reserve shooting guards currently on the roster will remain. Daniel Gibson plays solid defense and can still stroke the three-point shot when healthy, which isn’t all that often. Lester Hudson is intriguing, and Manny Harris hasn’t played well when Scott has given him the opportunity.
At forward, Omri Casspi will likely return, but only because Grant can’t get comparable value for him. Luke Harangody has spent most of the year in Canton, and will have to catch on with another team for 2012-13. Luke Walton will have his salary for ’12-’13 and his expiring contract used in some sort of trade.
With Ryan Hollins already gone, Scott has went with Thompson, really a power forward, at center because he’s lost faith in Samardo Samuels and Semih Erden. Of the two, Samuels is more likely to be back, if only because he shows some toughness and a decent shooting touch, and also because he should have been a senior on Louisville’s Final Four team.
Look for Grant to add another veteran big man to the mix, and rumors have circulated that one target in free agent Omer Asik, currently with Chicago (3.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg in 13 minutes).
That leaves the following keepers: Irving, Gee, Thompson, Varejao, Casspi, Samuels, and maybe Sloan and Hudson. That’s eight players, meaning a little less than half the roster will be new players.
That means a summer of change for the Cavaliers. And it will be a key summer because with two first round picks and salary cap space, Grant and Scott can lay the foundation for the next playoff team in Cleveland.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 