Time For A Change In Philosophy For Cavs

We know we are late to the party, but the Cleveland Cavaliers really are a depressing franchise unless it includes LeBron James on the roster.

The last time the Cavs won a playoff series without #23 in the wine and gold was 1992-1993, which is 28 years ago, and right now, it looks as though that streak could very well extend to 30 years before it concludes.

We are grateful for James’ time here, including that title in 2016, the only professional sports championship for the city since 1964. But the next time he will be part of a celebration in northeast Ohio will likely be his jersey retirement ceremony.

So, for the Gilbert ownership group, it’s seven seasons without James in a Cleveland uniform, and the most wins by any of those teams would be the 33 in 2013-14, the year before LBJ came back to town.

We suggest it is time for the ownership to re-examine the way they run the franchise, but quite frankly, it’s been mediocre at best under their guidance.

We understand that Gilbert spent and spent big when James was here in an effort to end the city’s title drought and we are grateful that he did. He should be commended in a big way for that.

However, the basketball decisions made outside of spending big could be described as a mess. His unwillingness to give any of his general managers second contracts, outside of Koby Altman, is well publicized, and really, none of the rebuilding movements after each of James’ departures has taken hold.

And Altman doesn’t really want to address it. He seems reticent to answer questions about what is going on with the franchise.

The time to change this is now.

After this season, it’s time to clean out the front office of this basketball team and provide a clear direction for the operations of the franchise going forward. Step one should be to stop hoping for lottery luck and the next great player in the NBA to fall in their lap like James did.

Actually, Gilbert didn’t even own the team when the Cavaliers won the lottery to beat all lotteries, getting James in 2003.

Bring in an experienced basketball executive that has playing experience if possible. It doesn’t have to be a former GM, but should be someone who has been around the game and has talent evaluation in his background. Find someone like James Jones, the current Phoenix GM, who played on the title team in 2016.

And then, stop meddling and give them time to build something.

The playing experience is important because with the movement towards analytics and looking at numbers, it’s important for someone who has played to be involved in building the team. Basketball is a game where it is important for the pieces to fit, it’s not just all about putting a bunch of talent together and hope it works.

Then, allow that new leader to hire the coach he wants to carry out the vision. And that vision should be something the organization can hang its hat on, such as defense, ball movement, etc. Players who can carry out the plan are the guys to keep.

They need to bring in someone who can teach the young players to win. We believe everybody wants to win, but some players need to be taught how to win. There are few players on the current roster that don’t put out effort.

We like J.B. Bickerstaff and maybe he’s the right guy, but if you hire a new GM, you have to give him the opportunity to bring in his own person.

Changing GMs, hoping to catch lottery magic isn’t working. Yes, the Cavs and all professional sports are in the entertainment business. And the goal of that business is winning, and that requires a plan, and allowing people to carry out that blueprint.

When the team wins, everyone can share in the credit. Look at the championship team. Yes, LeBron was the star, but this area loves players like J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, Richard Jefferson, and Channing Frye, who were key pieces to the title.

It’s okay to admit when something doesn’t work. That where the Cavs’ management should be right now. There is apathy surrounding this basketball team right now, and that has to change. It’s time to start winning again.

Season’s First Checkpoint: Tribe Holding Their Own

The Cleveland Indians have completed 1/6th of the 2021 regular season with last night’s 8-6 win against the Kansas City Royals.

While many people like to wait until the season has passed the quarter pole (40 games) to evaluate the team, we believe 27 games is a fair measure of the how the team is doing.

Right now, the Indians are hovering around the .500 mark, which is where we felt they would be before the season started. As we stand right now, only three teams are five games over the break even point (Boston, Kansas City, and Oakland) and only two (Minnesota and Detroit) are five games below that mark.

The Tribe’s strength was supposed to be the pitching staff and that remains so, even with the starting rotation springing a couple of leaks early in the campaign. Cleveland is 6th in the American League in ERA at 3.79.

The challenge is scoring runs. When Terry Francona’s squad score four or more runs in a game, they are 13-1. The league average is 4.31 runs/game.

When they score three or less, the record is 1-12.

Pitching wise, the top three starters, Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale have been as advertised. Outside of a bad outing by Plesac against the White Sox, the trio has given the Indians a chance to win every game they have pitched.

Unfortunately, the two rookies at the back of the rotation have struggled. Lefty Logan Allen, so impressive in spring training has already been replaced by another rookie, Sam Hentges, and Triston McKenzie has had major control issues, walking 18 in 18-2/3 innings (he has 29 strikeouts).

When the margin for error is so razor thin because of the offensive struggles, it’s tough to wait for the young hurlers to find their footing. McKenzie needs to throw strikes. His stuff is electric, but you can’t walk a hitter per inning at the big league level.

The bullpen has been excellent. People scoffed at bringing back Bryan Shaw (we didn’t), but he is part of the triumvirate to close out games. Shaw, James Karinchak, and closer Emmanuel Clase have combined to pitch 38-2/3 innings, allowing just four earned runs (0.93 ERA), striking out 54 and walking just 13.

Karinchak has 27 punchouts and two walks in 13 frames. Think about that for a second. He’s recorded 39 outs in total, 27 of those have been strikeouts.

Offensively, Jose Ramirez has decided not to make a late push for MVP this season, he’s off to a great start, with 8 homers and 17 RBIs to go with a .281 batting average (971 OPS). Franmil Reyes has a terrible strikeout to walk ratio (31:4), but has belted 7 dingers.

Jordan Luplow has earned everyday playing time through his six homers, including three of right-handed pitchers and 12 walks, which are third on the team behind Cesar Hernandez and Ramirez. Eddie Rosario seems to key in with runners in scoring position, knocking in 17 with a .230 batting average (648 OPS).

He’s a veteran with a track record, so we aren’t as concerned with him or Hernandez, who is hitting .194, but as we said, leads the team in walks.

That brings us to the rest of the lineup. First base continues to be a huge problem. Jake Bauers has been better lately, but Yu Chang isn’t contributing at the dish. They are a combined 15 for 90 (.167) without a home run and seven runs batted in.

To have a solid offense in the AL, you have to have at least six, maybe seven solid bats, and we already know the Tribe doesn’t care what the catcher hits, and neither Roberto Perez nor Austin Hedges make a living based on what they do with a bat in their hands.

Andres Gimenez has done well at short defensively, but he has a 557 OPS and a 21:3 K/BB ratio.

Josh Naylor was a big hope going into spring training, but he has seemed overanxious at the plate, walking just three times. He does lead the team in doubles, but despite playing pretty much every day, has just 5 RBI, the same as Chang

The Indians need him to be a run producer.

The success of the Cleveland Indians will continue to be based on their ability to score runs. After 27 games, we still have doubts they can do that based on the current roster.

Browns Put Emphasis On Defense In Draft.

It would seem that the way to beat the spread offenses which have become the rage in the National Football League is to do it with speed. And it would appear that Cleveland Browns’ GM Andrew Berry would agree.

The overwhelming take away from this year’s selections is all of the defensive players taken by the Browns, and they took five of them, can run and cover the field.

Obviously, the two players everyone is excited about are the team’s first two choices, CB Greg Newsome II and LB/S Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Both were expected to be picked in the first round, so Berry had to love it when the latter was still available with the 52nd pick, and the Browns moved up to take them.

We look to history, and the last time the Browns had an excellent defense was in the late 1980’s. spearheaded by cornerbacks Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield.

Now, we certainly aren’t comparing Denzel Ward and Newsome to that duo, but having two solid corners makes it tougher on today’s pass-happy offenses, not to mention it allows Myles Garrett and his friends more time to get to the quarterback.

Owusu-Koramoah (JOK) was the Butkus Award winner last season as College Football’s top linebacker, and should be a perfect fit in the defense coordinator Robert Woods likes to play, which is a 4-2-5.

If Grant Delpit can return from his achilles’ injury, and with Ronnie Harrison and free agent signee John Johnson III as well, Woods has players at that position that can defend the pass and also can come up and stop the run.

The emphasis on speed didn’t just stop on the defense, either. Cleveland’s third round pick was WR Anthony Schwartz from Auburn, who may be the fastest player in the draft. If the Browns can develop him, he could wind up being the deep threat the offense needs. Make no mistake, the offense needs speed at the wide receiver spot.

And we still contend either Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham Jr. are playing their last season in a Browns’ uniform, so this could be a case of Berry thinking about the not-to-distant future of the football team.

We also love the pick of DT Tommy Togiai in the fourth round. We saw some draft sites with him getting picked earlier. Togiai seemed to get better this season as it went along, and if he keeps developing, he could be in the rotation this season.

The best things we can say about this draft is none of the picks seemed to defy logic. The Browns didn’t pick anyone a lot higher than projections, and they actually chose players who were projected to go a lot higher, like Owusu-Koramoah.

They also looked at players who may not be impactful this season, but there will be able to get on the field in 2022.

Berry has earned the trust of the fans, because of players they picked a year ago in the later rounds, like Harrison Bryant, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Nick Harris. All three were taken after the 100th pick in 2020, and all were contributors in the playoff season.

If Newsome and Owusu-Koramoah can produce as the front office thinks, the Browns’ defense will be much improved. And if that happens, there could be big things coming at First Energy Stadium in the fall.