The Watson Situation Just Looks Worse and Worse

Every news item coming out about new Browns’ quarterback Deshaun Watson really isn’t helping the image of the organization, is it?

Two more civil suits and a story by Jenny Vrentas in the New York Times just in the past few days put Watson in an even more troublesome (if that’s possible) light.

As for the folks in Berea? They are the people who put their necks out for the former Houston QB, and now they look clueless, the last thing the Haslam ownership and organization needed.

We would hope the Browns are not surprised by any of this, that they did their due diligence and knew this stuff was out there, even if it had yet to be reported. But a wise man once said perception is reality, and the front office looks as bad as they did when Cleveland went 1-31 over a two year period.

We think anyone with half of a brain knew Watson was going to be suspended at some point by the league, and lack of an indictment doesn’t mean anything to the NFL. They have suspended other players who weren’t legally charged with a crime.

But the popular opinion was it would be around six games. Now, that would seem to be awfully light. At best, Watson is guilty of some pretty poor judgment, which we would think no one would want out of their starting quarterback.

GM Andrew Berry brought in Jacoby Brissett to start during a probable Watson suspension, but what if he is sidelined for the entire season? Are the Browns ready to go an entire season with Brissett at the helm? Anything is possible, but in the very difficult AFC, it would seem Cleveland isn’t a playoff contender in that scenario.

Many people have suggested the franchise should mend fences with Baker Mayfield if that’s the case, but the relationship between and team and Mayfield has been napalmed, so it’s probably not even a remote scenario.

However, would other teams be interested in trading for Mayfield if the Browns would take back a quarterback also under a big contract?

We are just speculating, but if San Francisco really wants to go with Trey Lance at QB, but want to have a solid back up in case he struggles or gets injured. Would they be interested in a deal involving Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo? Or could Sam Darnold be a better option for the Browns than Brissett over an entire season?

Those might be better alternatives for a team (and a coach) that needs to get to the playoffs in 2022. And Brissett is still around as a fallback in case of an injury.

It puts the Browns in a better position for this season while not having to deal with bringing Mayfield back, an option the team has already dismissed.

By the way, anyone who paints Mayfield as childish for not showing up to the mandatory mini-camp is out of touch. The Browns don’t want him there. It has nothing to do with the former first overall pick.

You would have to think the front office has to be studying scenarios as to what would happen if Watson is ruled out for the entire season. Again, that’s due diligence.

However, it’s what they signed up for. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Schedule Or Not, Guards’ Pitching Has Improved

A few weeks ago, we talked about what figured to be the Cleveland Guardians’ strength coming into the season, the pitching staff, wasn’t pulling its own weight, ranking near the bottom of the American League in ERA.

Things have taken a decided turn for the good for the Cleveland hurlers, as they have seen that ranking moved to 6th in the AL. Surprisingly, they are not doing it with the strikeout, as Guards’ pitchers are just ninth in the Junior Circuit in strikeouts per nine innings.

They are third from the bottom in total whiffs, but that has more to do with Terry Francona’s club playing at least three games less than every other team in the league.

They’ve allowed the third fewest hits per nine, behind only the Yankees and Astros, so there could be concern about how sustainable that is considering the lack of strikeouts.

New York is near the top of the league in whiffs per nine, while Houston averages the same as Cleveland.

In terms of issuing free passes, Carl Willis’ staff is right around league average, so nothing unusual there.

However, in the last 15 games, Cleveland pitchers have allowed more than four runs just twice, most recently, Saturday’s loss to Baltimore, and to take it back further, in the last 23 games, opponents have hit the five-run mark against the Guardians just four times.

The two most disappointing members of the rotation earlier this season were Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale. Plesac has two runs or less in three of his last four starts, and Civale has started only one game since May 13th, and it was a 6-1/3 inning, one run allowed (unearned) effort against Detroit.

Rookie left-hander Konnor Pilkington has subbed in with three starts and hasn’t allowed more than three runs in either of them.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the only above league average offense Cleveland faced in the last 15 games is Houston. The Tigers are the league’s worst offense, while the Orioles and Royals both rank in the bottom five in the AL in scoring.

There do seem to be changes afoot in the bullpen. Trevor Stephan has been struggling in his last few outings and Nick Sandlin has had issues throwing strikes all season, walking 15 batters in 15 innings.

So Francona has leaned more on Eli Morgan, a starter last season, and he has been more than impressive. Morgan started the year on the roster to be able to give the team innings because starters were still stretching out from the shortened spring training.

The 26-year-old righty has pitched 25 innings, allowing just 10 hits with only four walks against 32 strikeouts. He’s getting more and more opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings.

The same is true with southpaw Sam Hentges, who has thrown 16-1/3 frames, giving up just eight hits and four walks against 19 strikeouts. He has supplanted Anthony Gose as the late inning lefty.

Enyel De Los Santos has also worked his way into more high leverage situations as well.

If the club can get both Stephan and Sandlin straightened out, this has the makings of a very good bullpen.

If the pitching can keep this going, the Guardians can stay in the post-season race. Hopefully, the last group of games is more indicative of how good the staff can be.

The Rosario Dilemma

Occasionally on social media, we are accused of hating Amed Rosario, the Guardians’ sometime leftfielder and usually, their shortstop.

First, we don’t “hate” Rosario. We just feel that many fans fell in love with his .282 batting average last season. On a team that was pretty much offensively inept, he was among the better hitters on the roster.

He could be an asset for the Guardians if used in certain situations, for example, against left-handed pitching, he’s very good, with a career .463 slugging percentage and 804 OPS.

However, that’s not how the Guardians use him.

We know batting average isn’t as important as it used to be, but unless he is hitting around .275, he’s a bad offensive player. Right now, he’s batting .234, making his on base percentage under .280 because he doesn’t walk. His entire offensive worth is based on getting hits, and right now, he’s not getting any.

Conversely, Myles Straw is hitting .230, which isn’t great either. But Straw is among the league leaders in walks, so his OBP is around .330, not great for a leadoff man, but higher than the AL average of .305.

Rosario’s lack of on base skill could be overlooked if he was driving the ball, hitting with pop. But his slugging percentage is also under .300, and he has just eight extra base hits on the season. That’s less than Straw, Steven Kwan, and even Oscar Mercado.

Players who don’t get on base and don’t drive the ball simply don’t contribute much to the offense. But maybe a guy like Rosario could contribute at the bottom of the batting order, so when he gets on, he sets up the top of the order.

Except, the Guardians continue to hit him in the #2 hole, and when Kwan was going well early in the season, they put him in the #5 spot. Traditionally, that’s a place for a power bat.

There is always a place for guys with solid gloves, like Straw, who is a gold glove caliber defender. However, Rosario is below average defensively at short, although he seems better than he was last season.

It’s not up for debate that Andres Gimenez is better glove at short, but many times he’s put at second in favor of Rosario.

Terry Francona said after the Toronto series that Rosario was going to play more in left, but after a pair of games out there, he then played six straight at short. Then, after playing three out of four in the outfield, his last seven games have been at shortstop.

It just seems there is a priority to keep Rosario in the lineup no matter what, and to make sure he’s in a comfortable spot defensively, despite better options in both the lineup and defensively.

We understand Francona and the coaching staff are doing everything they can to get Rosario hitting like he did last season, and if they can do it, it would help the offense. Maybe what they should do right now is platoon him with Kwan in left.

The Guardians are giving Amed Rosario every opportunity to succeed, but you have to wonder if this is another patience vs. stubbornness situations. Not playing players who have been doing better is something that needs questioning.

Ramirez’ Place In Cleveland Baseball History

A few years ago, we wrote a piece talking about Francisco Lindor’s place in Cleveland baseball history if he were to play his entire career here, or at least a sizeable portion of it.

Well, we had the wrong player. Jose Ramirez is one of the best players in the game, and he wants to spend his entire career in a Cleveland uniform.

So, let’s look at some of the all time Cleveland counting stats and see where Ramirez will wind up statistically for the franchise.

The franchise leader in games played is Terry Turner, who played 1619 games with Cleveland, the last in 1919. Ramirez has played in 1026 as of today, and if he averages 140 games through the end of 2028 when his contract ends, he will surpass that total easily.

Napoleon Lajoie is the club’s all time leader in hits with 2047 and he last wore a Cleveland uniform in 1914. Ramirez has 1038 currently. Assuming he gets 100 more hits this season, he would need to get about 150 hits per season to pass the man the team was once named after.

Jim Thome’s 337 home runs is the current standard and Ramirez has belted 176 as of now, averaging almost 28 per season in the last five full seasons. After this season, the switch-hitting third baseman will need slightly over 20 homers a year to break the franchise mark.

As for RBIs, the all-time leader is Earl Averill with 1084 and Ramirez has 591 to date, averaging 90 a year in the last five full seasons. At that pace, he will pass Averill, but as we know that depends on his teammates and other teams choosing to pitch to him.

Averill is also the leader in total bases (3200) with Ramirez currently at 1885. Jose has averaged 290 total bases in the last five full seasons, so he should pass the 2000 mark before the end of this season.

Keep in mind using the last five full seasons includes the 2016 season in which Ramirez only hit 11 homers and knocked in 76 runs. His power surge started the following season when he belted 29 dingers.

Ramirez has 256 career doubles and the franchise leader is also the all time in this department, Tris Speaker, who had 486 of his two-baggers in a Cleveland uniform. Ramirez gets a lot of hustle doubles because of his speed, but his total has dipped since he started belting balls over the fence.

He had a league leading 56 in 2017, but the past few seasons, he’s been around 30-35. At that pace, he gets in the top five all time, but no higher.

In terms of WAR, Ramirez is already in 10th place at 36.9, and at the pace his current season is on, he will likely be 9th by the end of this season, passing the aforementioned Turner. Being conservative, he will be in the top five in franchise history during the 2024 assuming he stays healthy.

Many of Cleveland’s all time leaders in these counting statistics come either from the 90’s teams (like Thome) or more than 80 years ago, so it will be refreshing to see Ramirez’ name at the top.

No doubt he will be one of the greatest, if not THE greatest player to ever wear a Cleveland baseball outfit.

You are witnessing one of the best ever here.

An Issue With Watson? Other Cities Have Gotten Over Things

Since Deshaun Watson was acquired by the Browns, the fan base has been torn. Supporters of the team would like him to be exonerated from all of civil suits filed against him, which might not happen for around 18 months.

Others point to the lack of criminal charge by a grand jury as proof of Watson’s innocence. Remember, that legal proceedings are a “game” in itself, and sometimes it’s just a matter of the prosecution failing to make a solid case from the evidence the police brought forward.

Some will feel “dirty” even if all of the civil cases went the quarterback’s way, because at the very least the former Texan QB was guilty of bad judgment.

Others have talked themselves into believing Watson won’t be suspended if he wins all of these civil cases. (In our opinion, he’s going to be sidelined at some point by the league office).

But if the Browns start winning, becoming a perennial playoff team, and perhaps even making or winning a Super Bowl, all of this will fade into the background.

That’s the nature of sports and fandom.

Barry Bonds is one of the more polarizing players baseball has even seen. It would be difficult to find a supporter of the slugger anywhere except San Francisco.

Bonds was never a warm and fuzzy figure among fans and reportedly among his teammates as well. However, if you talk to Giants’ fans and say he’s a disgrace to the sport, be ready for a fight. Most people out in the Bay Area love him, and regard him as the sports’ all-time home run leader, while people who aren’t Giants’ supporters believe Hank Aaron is the true king of the long ball and wish Bonds would just go away.

The same is true of Baltimore Ravens’ fans and Ray Lewis. Lewis is revered for the most part in Baltimore, and there is a statue of him in front of M & T Bank Stadium where the Ravens play their home games.

Here, and we would assume other AFC North cities think the incident Lewis was involved in Atlanta in 2000 after a Super Bowl party make his less than an ideal candidate for a statue. But he went on to work for ESPN as an analyst and has served as a pitch man for several products.

By and large, Lewis’ reputation is Baltimore is as a great player and great leader. He’s a huge part of their two Super Bowl titles, and he’s been honored for his involvement in the community.

So, while many fans feel uncomfortable with the Browns getting Watson and giving him a boatload of cash to wear the brown and orange. If Cleveland wins with him as the quarterback, fans will figure out a way to live with his past.

Sure, there will be those who can’t get past it, and may even stop rooting for the Browns, and if they continue with that position if Cleveland gets to its first Super Bowl with Watson under center, they are stronger than most.

For most sports fans, they will look the other way on Deshaun Watson’s past if the Browns are successful. Cleveland won’t be any different than other cities.

Guardians Proving An Old Baseball Adage

There is an old saying in baseball that momentum is today’s starting pitcher. There is no better example of that than the 2022 Cleveland Guardians.

On May 9th, the Guardians were trailing the White Sox 8-2 heading into the 9th inning. They scored six runs to tie the game, and then won it in 11 innings, with Josh Naylor being the hero. He belted a grand slam in the ninth to tie it and won it in the 11th with a three run blast.

It was Cleveland’s eighth victory in the last 10 games, and they headed into the Windy City after a very good series against Toronto, taking three out of four.

The next night, the Guards ran into a nemesis in Lucas Giolito, a pitcher the team has little success against, and they lost 4-1. That started a losing slide of nine losses in the last 13 games, and Cleveland now sits seven games out of first.

We are sure a lot of fans would have thought the huge comeback would be a springboard to more success for the Guardians, but after the loss to Giolito, the coaching staff came down with COVID, as did Naylor, the hottest Cleveland hitter at that point.

Naylor is back, but the offense has lost momentum and is the main culprit for the losing ways in the last twelve. In the nine losses, the Guardians have scored three runs or less in seven of them, the exceptions being a 12-8 loss at Minnesota in which the team was way down after the Twins scored nine in an inning, and 5-4 loss to the Reds at Progressive Field, in which they had just two going into the 9th until Owen Miller hit a two-run homer.

For the most part, the pitching staff has been fine. They’ve allowed more than four runs just three times, so the Guards have been in games, which makes the losing even more frustrating.

Adding to the angst is the schedule. Cleveland is in the midst of a period in which they play 20 of 23 games against the Reds, Tigers, Royals, Orioles, Rangers, and A’s. Not exactly a group of pennant contenders. The best record in that group is Texas’ 21-23 mark.

Unfortunately, the Guardians have started out 2-4 against this group, and they also lost two of three to Houston, one of the best teams in the AL.

Lately it seems the entire burden of the offense is on Jose Ramirez, who leads the American League with 48 RBIs. If the Guardians can climb back in the post-season race, Ramirez should be a leading candidate for the league MVP.

He’s had that kind of season.

However, if Terry Francona’s squad comes close to losing 90 games, we fear Ramirez’ season will lost in a statistical morass.

That would be a shame.

Naylor has stepped up in clutch spots and provided some pop at the plate, but frankly, that Franmil Reyes has been missing in action for much of the year, is a huge hinderance on the offense.

Reyes has just five extra base hits on the season, the same number as reserve catcher Luke Maile, and one less than starting catcher Austin Hedges. That’s simply mind boggling.

The Guardians need someone with some pop. Perhaps that player can be Oscar Gonzalez, who has started his big-league career with four hits in eight at bats, including two doubles.

If Cleveland can’t make some hay over the next three weeks, it figures to be a long season, If they can hit, they will be fine. Just hoping Ramirez gets some help.

On Offering Big Money In Sports.

With all of the big money in professional sports today, many of the people not working in front offices are in a big hurry to spend.

For some players, like LeBron James, it’s a no brainer to give them the most money they can get as early as they can get it. People like James are destined for greatness, and their teams should do what they can to tie them up for as long as they can.

However, for most of the players, there should be no rush to bestow huge contracts upon them. Why not get as much information as you can about the athlete before entering into a huge financial commitment for the team with the person.

We understand that sometimes the player takes the lack of the big deal as disrespect. However, remember, most athletes do not have the same loyalty as say, Jose Ramirez did with the Guardians.

The Cavaliers have a decision this summer with Collin Sexton and it has been debated on several fronts. Sexton is a restricted free agent, which enables the Cavs to match any offer he receives from other organizations.

Sexton averaged almost 25 points per game in 2020-21, but played just 11 games last season with a knee injury. So what should Koby Altman’s contract offer be? We know there are a lot of Sexton fans out there that would say he should get the most money Cleveland can offer.

That’s probably because it isn’t their money.

The max deal for a player after four seasons is around $30 million per year. Personally, there aren’t many players coming off a season in which they played just 11 games, that we would offer that kind of cash to. And we understand, there isn’t any reason Sexton shouldn’t be able to come back from his medical issue.

Last year, we wondered what would the market be for Sexton, and quite frankly, we still have that thought. Would any other team offer him anywhere near that kind of cash?

That’s way we would let Sexton go out and see what is available to him. Let him go and see what the market is for him, and the Cavaliers would still have the ability to keep him at a reasonable salary. Remember, the NBA is a salary cap sport, although we know there are many loopholes, and Altman could be creative to give the team room.

We heard a few people the other day discussing locking up Guardians’ pitcher Triston McKenzie on a long term deal after he dominated Houston.

What’s the rush?

We think McKenzie is a very good young pitcher. He will be 25-years-old soon and might be the Guardians’ best pitcher right now.

However, he’s thrown less than 200 innings in his career and is under the team’s control through the 2026 season. And let’s face it, pitchers’ careers are more volatile than everyday players.

A few years ago, we advocated for Cleveland to sign Francisco Lindor at any cost. In his last couple of years here, Lindor seemed to embrace the “launch angle” movement and became less effective hitting. He went from a .280-.300 hitter to a .230-.250 hitter.

Is he reaching the value of the deal he signed with the Mets? We believe most would say no.

We know the owners of these teams are billionaires and none of them (not even the Dolans) are in danger of living in poverty. However, players and agents use what one person gets as the basis for someone else.

And for teams in a salary cap sport, overpaying a player can become an albatross. There is nothing wrong with getting as much information as you can before offering an athlete a boatload of money.

It’s the smart thing to do.

Some Questions On Guards’ Roster Makeup

Major League Baseball expanded the rosters to 26 players a few years ago, presumably because teams were keeping so many relief pitchers on the team, many managers were stuck with a three man bench.

When the rosters were expanded, part of the rule said a maximum of 13 pitchers could be eligible, although up until June 1st of this season, teams can keep 14 pitchers because of the shortened spring training.

It is a challenge for managers of all big league clubs to keep his reserves fresh, so if and when they are needed, they will be somewhat ready. It’s a difficult task, and is one reason many teams do not want to keep a young player on the roster if they cannot get regular at bats or innings.

Terry Francona is reported to be excellent in communicating with every player on the roster as to how he is going to be used and when. And we use the word “reported” because we aren’t in the clubhouse. But when was the last time a Cleveland player came out in the media and complained as to how he is being used?

Since Yu Chang came off the COVID list on May 13th, he has appeared in just one game, Friday night against the Tigers, because a lefty was pitching for Detroit, and Josh Naylor was just coming off the same list, and Francona didn’t want his first game back to be against a tough southpaw in Tarik Skubal.

With the latest defensive configuration of using Naylor at first because of the leg he injured a year ago, and thus Owen Miller moving to second base, if seems like Chang has no real place on the roster.

And both Miller (861 OPS) and Naylor (1044 OPS) are among the best bats in the lineup, so the Guardians want those guys playing for sure.

Perhaps the front office is working on a deal for Chang, but right now, his spot on the roster could be better used by someone else.

Detroit’s closer is a lefty in Gregory Soto, and Francona allowed Andres Gimenez and Steven Kwan, both left-handed hitters to bat. Chang didn’t even get a chance there.

You could probably make an argument that Ernie Clement isn’t benefiting either. He’s had just four at bats since May 7th, although he’s appeared in four games as a pinch-runner, so at least he is contributing there.

And if the organization views Clement as a bench piece, utility guy, then there isn’t a problem using him this way.

We don’t like wasting roster spots. There are only 26 of them, so why not have guys who can contribute.

And on another matter…

From a pitching standpoint, it will be interesting to see how the club handles Eli Morgan. The young right-hander made the team because they wanted length from some relievers due to the shortened spring.

Remember, in addition to Morgan, they also kept Konnor Pilkington and Logan Allen. But now that the starters are stretched out, is Morgan needed as a long man?

If Francona uses him that way, for say, three or four innings if a starter gets knocked out early, then fine. However, we wonder if he wouldn’t be better served going back to Columbus and getting stretched out so he is available as a starter?

Especially with the doubleheaders coming up later in the season with all the rainouts and games that were canceled due to the lockout.

Guardians Getting On Base More, Why Not Run More Too?

The hitting for the Cleveland Guardians has been a surprise this season, ranking third in the American League in runs scored to date. However, it has also sputtered at times.

The Guards have scored 10 runs or more five times this season, but they’ve also scored two runs or less 14 times, and it’s very tough to win doing that, and Cleveland is no different, going 1-13 when that occurs.

That’s not totally unusual. The league average per team is under four runs per game (3.97).

However, in the last week, the offense recently has reached a tough patch, with Josh Naylor out on the COVID list, and Jose Ramirez not being red hot.

We know the Guardians have embraced more of a contact approach this season. They have struck out less than any team in the AL, and rank 5th in the Junior Circuit in on base percentage.

One curious thing missing from the Cleveland offense is the stolen base, as the Guards rank just 10th in the league with 20 thefts. Tampa Bay, another low spending franchise, leads the league with 31.

Myles Straw has eight steals meaning he has 40% of the Guards’ stolen bases. But he is far from the only Cleveland player who can run.

They do use their speed in other ways. They are tied for the AL in triples as a team with 10 and are in the middle of the pack in doubles, ranking seventh with 62.

They need to have the stolen base arsenal in their back pocket when they aren’t getting doubles and triples. Otherwise, they need to get three singles or walks to push a run across.

As we said, they have very good team speed.

Amed Rosario has exceptional speed, although he isn’t an accomplished base stealer. He led the league in being caught stealing in 2019. Andres Gimenez, on the other hand, has only been caught once in his career, stealing 22 bases in 23 tries. He’s 14 for 14 in a Cleveland uniform.

We understand the organization may not want Jose Ramirez to run as much, but he’s stolen 20 bags or more in four different seasons.

We notice Ramirez has been more aggressive on the bases following the times he is pitched around by the opposition.

It doesn’t just have to be stolen bases either. With the contact rates of some of these players, why not use a play that most team eschew in today’s game: The “hit and run”.

Maybe Terry Francona will do more of that when he has more confidence in guys like Steven Kwan and Gimenez.

You don’t want to run into outs, but with the speed the Guardians’ have, it should serve to enhance the offense. Why not put more pressure on the opposition defense? Lately, the hitting hasn’t gotten into it early in games, but maybe running early would get the Guards on the scoreboard early.

The Guardians aren’t a team that can sit back and wait for the long ball, and to that end, they’ve embraced a more contact-oriented approach this season.

Why not take a further step and start stealing bases too. They have a roster that can pull it off.

Big Summer For Many NBA Teams, Cavs Included

Well, it’s now official. The Cleveland Cavaliers will have the 14th overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft, although it would have been an extreme long shot for them to have moved up.

The Cavs are the best team, record wise, in the league that didn’t make the playoffs, and with a young core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, this is an important off-season for GM Koby Altman and his staff.

However, it’s also an important summer for some of the league’s big market teams, and could anything those teams do influence the wine and gold?

What will the Los Angeles Lakers do? Yes, they have LeBron James, but their roster looks like one of a good team, in 2012. What do they do to surround James with the right kind of talent and can Anthony Davis ever stay healthy?

What of the Brooklyn Nets? Will they run back the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving show or totally restructure their roster, even moving the recently acquired Ben Simmons. They could be looking for a rebuild this summer.

The New York Knicks made the playoffs in 2020-21, but returned to their normal lottery spot last season. Are they satisfied with a Julius Randle and RJ Barrett combination going into the ’22-’23 season? And will they continue to hold Obi Toppin hostage?

What does this have to do with the Cavaliers? If those teams make big moves, cap space will probably be needed and perhaps Altman can pick up a nice piece for the Cavs because salaries do not match up.

Remember, that’s how Cleveland got Allen, a 23-year-old seven footer, who became an all star last season.

If you didn’t know, by rule, the Cavs cannot announce a trade of their first round draft pick before the selection is made. That pick is an asset though, and may be used to bring in a veteran player. We say veteran because we believe there is plenty of youth on the roster, so another young guy could be superfluous.

On the other hand, you might get an experienced college player who gets bypassed early in the draft because every team looks to project on players.

We have seen the Cavs linked to Kansas senior 6’5″ guard Ochai Agbaji. He could probably make a contribution right away, and at least one draft website compared him to Desmond Bane of Memphis. If he wound up being close to the player Bane is, that would be great.

The other player who seems like a good fit and may be available is Ohio State G Malaki Branham, also 6’5″. Just a freshman, he may take longer to be a contributor on a team that should have playoff asperations.

Altman also needs to decide on some bench players. It seems clear they don’t have a good handle on what to do with players like Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler, so it’s time to cut bait.

And no more roster spots for guys who can’t play, like Ed Davis, or bringing in someone like Kevin Pangos.

And make no mistake, barring injuries, the Cavaliers need to qualify for the real playoffs next season, meaning a best-of-seven series. No more play in games.

They made the giant leap to contender in 2021-22, and this young core of good players needs to get in the playoffs.