Cavs’ Second Best Player? It’s Jarrett Allen

Quite frankly, we anticipated a tighter first round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, and perhaps now that the series moves to Florida, we may get it.

The Magic have had problems getting any offense outside of their two forwards, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. That pair is scoring 40.5 points per game, while their next three scorers, Jalen Suggs, Mo Wagner, and Gary Harris are combining for just 29 points per game combined.

Meanwhile, the Cavs’ top four scorers, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland have scored 73.5 points per night. Cleveland is getting production from several spots, making them harder to defend.

We made the comment on social media last month that while all the talk regarding the Cavs surrounds the backcourt of Mitchell and Garland, no one has noticed that Allen has become their second best player.

Last year, Allen was much maligned during and after the first round loss to the Knicks, although some of his problems weren’t his fault. New York gathered a ton of offensive rebounds because the big man was helping on penetration by the Knicks’ guards and thus was out of position to grab boards.

Offensively, he was only getting seven shots per game and for the series averaged 9.4 points and just 7.4 rebounds per game, well off the 9.8 he grabbed during the regular season.

This year, Allen added range to his shot, taking more shots in the three to ten foot range and still knocked down 63% of his field goal attempts. He also became more of a playmaker, adding an assist per game to his stats.

His performance this series reinforces our comment that Allen is indeed the second best player wearing the wine and gold. He has been a force in the first two games of the series, scoring 16 points and grabbing 19 caroms in Cleveland, and been a force defensively.

His passing has translated as well, with five assists in the series, tied for third with Max Strus.

The injuries to Mobley and Garland have allowed Allen to blossom as a scorer and passer. He did score 16.1 points a game before Mitchell arrived last season but dropped to 14.3 last year as he was regarded more as a fourth option. Heck, he was fifth in field goal attempts behind 6th man Caris LeVert.

He was still fifth this season, but with Garland missing 25 games, Mobley out for 32 contests, and even Mitchell did not play in 27 games, Allen became more important, especially because he was available, playing 77 games, second to Georges Niang.

No doubt that contributed to Allen’s career high 16.5 scoring average and 819 field goal attempts. We always wondered why the Cavs didn’t get Allen the ball more often because for his career, he has made 63% of his shots.

We understand his range isn’t the same as Mitchell or Garland, but he was still 4th in field goal percentage in the league this year, and was 5th a year ago, and 2nd in 2021-22. When he gets the ball close to the basket, chances are, he will score.

The people who wanted Allen traded a year ago got it wrong. He may not be a three-point threat, but he’s a defensive force who can put the ball in the basket. He’s showing in this series that he’s a winning player too.

Different Things For Guardians So Far

We all knew there would be a change in philosophy for the Cleveland Guardians when Terry Francona decided he would not be back as manager of the team. We also know that the front office is also deeply involved in the day to day running of the team, so there would be a question of how the change would manifest itself.

So far, the change has worked out very well, as the Guards are off to baseball’s best record at 16-6. Yes, we know the schedule hasn’t actually been loaded with the best teams in baseball, but Seattle and Minnesota were regarded as contenders coming into the season, and the A’s are basically a .500 team when not playing Cleveland.

One change we’ve noticed is the organization isn’t selling out for defense at all costs. Over the last two seasons, Cleveland played Myles Straw almost exclusively in centerfield because of his defense. They did this even though Straw was one of the worst offensive players in the sport over 2022 and 2023.

In 2024, Tyler Freeman has moved from shortstop to be the primary CF, and already has three homers and 11 RBIs, compared to Straw’s single long ball and 29 ribbies a year ago.

New manager Steven Vogt has made a concerted effort to use the entire roster. Through 16 games, every Cleveland player has at least 39 plate appearances save for Austin Hedges, who has 26. Hedges has been in seven contests, but every other player has been in at least 13 games.

One thing that has continued has been versatility. David Fry has already caught, and played 1B, 3B, and LF. Gabriel Arias has played six different positions to date (3B, 1B, SS, 2B, RF, and CF). Being able to play several positions helps a player get at bats.

Another thing that seems different is the earning of at bats by players. With Arias swinging a good bat right now, he has been in the lineup at different positions pretty much every day.

Fry is hitting .303 with a homer and seven runs batted in and a 917 OPS, and Vogt is finding ways to get him in the lineup. Remember last season how Freeman seemed to only play on Sundays?

The bullpen usage has been different too. Francona had a bit of a caste system, certain guys pitched when they had the lead, and others pitched when they were behind. Granted, the Guardians haven’t trailed a lot this year, but Vogt seems to use anyone at any time.

He has said the only reliever who has a set “role” is Emmanuel Clase, otherwise, everyone else needs to be ready.

That said, it seems Hunter Gaddis has earned the most trust from the skipper, and he seems to get the ball in the 8th inning of close games.

Vogt does seem to go to the bullpen if the starter is getting near the end of the line. He removed both Logan Allen and Carlos Carrasco with two outs in an inning after they allowed a baserunner.

We understand the thought process, but with the relief corps taking on a huge burden early this year, perhaps give the starter an opportunity to get the last out. However, on Sunday, he did let Tanner Bibee go an extra couple of hitters and he didn’t get the third out and Cleveland had to go to the ‘pen anyway.

Of course, it would help if the starters could go six or seven innings on a regular basis. The walks have plagued the rotation. They’ve issued 51 of the 85 bases on balls given up by the pitching staff to date.

We just wanted to point out some of the changes from last year. It’s not meant as a criticism of Francona, who would admit that every manager likes to do things a certain way.

Right now, Steven Vogt is pushing the right buttons. And the results are in the standings. So far, so good.

Thoughts On A Game One Win For Cavs

The first piece of business for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA playoffs was not to blow the home court advantage after the first game.

They did just that, defeating the Orlando Magic 97-83, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Orlando shot the ball putridly, making just 32.6% of their shots, and if you take their all-star, Paolo Banchero out of the equation, it was even worse at 27.5%. And even worse, they missed 11 free throws as well.

In essence, they shot the ball like a bunch of guys playing in their first playoff experience would shoot it.

The Cavs’ big men showed up big time in the first game, with Jarrett Allen getting 16 points and grabbing 18 boards, and Evan Mobley knocked down a couple of threes early before operating in the paint with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.

And of course, Donovan Mitchell led the way offensively, with 30 points on 11 of 21 shooting, and had several key baskets in the paint when the Cleveland offense bogged down.

After having a 53-41 lead at halftime, the Magic turned up the defensive intensity in the third quarter, cutting the advantage to four, but the veterans off the bench, Georges Niang and Caris LeVert, keyed a 13-2 spurt to push the advantage back out to 15 at the end of the third.

Orlando’s top two scorers, Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for a little over half the Magic’s points, but they received little help from the rest of the roster. We don’t think Gary Harris, Joe Ingles, Cole Anthony, and Markelle Fultz will all fail to make a shot like they did yesterday.

As for the Cavs, they knocked down their first five long range shots, but then shot just 3 for 25 the rest of the way. We would expect a better shooting night for the wine and gold from long distance in Game 2 on Monday night.

We were concerned about taking care of the basketball in the series, and they got away with it in Game 1, turning the ball over 17 times against 12 takeaways. They have to do better going forward.

Orlando’s Jalen Suggs harassed Darius Garland, who did knock down a couple of big threes late, but Garland had five turnovers, and we think Suggs thinks he can take the ball from the Cavs’ guard any time has wants to.

J.B. Bickerstaff did play nine men, although Sam Merrill only got four minutes, missing two shots. We hope the coach continues to put Merrill out there. We understand he didn’t hit shots early, but he has the ability to have a different dynamic offensively.

We would also like to see Marcus Morris get some time as well. We know Bickerstaff likes to use just eight players, particularly in the playoffs, but we think Morris can help.

Monday night, we would guess Orlando will shoot better, but on the other hand, the Cavs should be better from behind the arc too.

The Cavaliers out rebounded Orlando 65-53, and if they can continue to control the backboards, they will be just fine. There is no doubt the Magic will make adjustments before Game 2, and we will bet they will put more pressure on the Cleveland ball handlers.

It will be up to the coaching staff to have something else in the bag. Getting the next game puts a ton of pressure on a Magic team with very little experience.

Cavs Can Move On, But It Won’t Be Easy

This Saturday, the Cleveland Cavaliers will open the NBA playoffs against the team they wanted to play apparently, the Orlando Magic. Before we talk about this series, let’s cover what happened in the season finale against Charlotte.

For us, tanking the fourth quarter to manipulate who you play in the first round is the sign of an organization that doesn’t believe in itself. Perhaps you don’t agree, but we will say the players didn’t like the move, although Max Strus was the only one who said so publicly.

And remember where Strus came from. He played for Miami, an organization that is famous for not caring who they play, they feel they can and will win. Yes, the Heat view the regular season differently, but that’s because they have the belief they can overcome any obstacle.

The curious thing about the decision is getting into the Celtics’ side of the bracket. Boston is the best team of the NBA, meaning the Cavs time in the playoffs could be limited to a first round win.

But it will not be easy. Orlando is second in the league in defensive efficiency, and they will have a size advantage, particularly at guard and small forward. Cleveland ranks sixth in defense, but over the last month, that side of the ball seems to have dropped off for the wine and gold.

One problem we see playing a good defensive team is getting into situations where you can get good shots, and that hasn’t been a strength of J. B. Bickerstaff. The coach likes to default to the pick and roll in so many situations, and good defensive teams tend to take that away.

There is a narrative out there that this series will be a referendum on Donovan Mitchell, and can he be the best player on a team that goes deep into the playoffs. We don’t think Mitchell was the reason Cleveland lost a year ago. He averaged 23.2 points and 7.2 assists vs. New York. He didn’t shoot well from long distance, just 29%, but as a team, the Cavs shot a better percentage than New York.

Mitchell’s biggest issue was no one else helped. Both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen averaged less than 10 points per game, and Darius Garland dished out 5 assists per game, but also had 3.6 turnovers.

We would also like to see the coach use Sam Merrill and Marcus Morris in the series. We know he likes to use eight, but he should try to use 10.

Orlando isn’t a good three-point shooting team, ranking second last in attempts (FYI, Denver is last) and 7th worst in percentage made. However, they make 55% of their shots inside the arc, and surprisingly, take the most free throws in the league.

Unlike Cleveland, whose primary scorers are in the backcourt, Orlando’s two best scorers are a pair of 6’10” forwards, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Jalen Suggs, a 6’5″ point guard and Cole Anthony are their next two scorers.

Suggs along with veteran Joe Ingles, a former teammate of Mitchell and Georges Niang in Utah, are the Magic’s best threats from long distance.

It will be interesting to see how Bickerstaff aligns the defense, particularly in key moments. Will he put Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on Banchero and Wagner?

The “x-factor” for the Magic is defensive stalwart Jonathan Isaac, who is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Isaac was sidelined for most of three seasons (2020-21 through 2022-23), playing just 11 games in those years, but played in 58 games this year, and after the all-star break, averaged 7.9 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes.

He also made 24 of 48 threes in that span, shooting 56.8% from the floor overall. He can be a handful.

Can the Cavs win the series? Definitely, they have the home court and the playoff experience edge. However, it won’t be easy. The Magic are athletic and long, and no doubt hungry.

Cleveland wanted Orlando. Beating them may not be as easy as they thought it would be when they “arranged” the match up.

Length Of Starters And Walks Troubling Guards’ Pitchers

The Cleveland Guardians are off to a very good start, winning 10 of their first 15 games.

We saw a comment over the weekend saying the Guards are taking advantage of an easy early schedule, but the Mariners and Twins were considered contenders coming into the season, so we don’t know where that is coming from.

After this series in Boston, the Guardians finish up the season series with the A’s, and then have Boston, Atlanta, and Houston coming up, and those series will be an early season measuring stick.

Competing with those teams will probably hinge on the performance of the starting rotation. Normally the strongpoint of this organization, so far, their performance has been not up to par.

Outside of Shane Bieber’s two six scoreless inning outings before he went on the injured list to get elbow surgery, the rotation has been more miss than hit, and only Logan Allen through 15 games, has pitched into the seventh inning.

Even worse, Tanner Bibee got into the sixth in his second start vs. Minnesota, but just for one out. Triston McKenzie went 5.2 IP innings in the home opener. And that’s the extent of starting pitching after the fifth inning three times through the rotation.

It does not take advanced sabermetrics to figure out this is not a sustainable way to win over a 162 game season.

With Bieber out, the front office has to find a replacement and both Xzavion Curry and Ben Lively are getting auditions this week. Whoever pitches better in Boston probably stays in the rotation going forward, although we believe Lively has an edge because he’s a veteran and the team brought him in as a free agent, although Curry made a great case yesterday with five scoreless innings.

The biggest problem has been throwing strikes. Every starter, save for Bieber, has been guilty of nibbling, causing their pitch counts to rise and forcing Steven Vogt to go to the bullpen much earlier than he wants.

Tanner Bibee has walked 8 in 13.2 frames after issuing 45 bases on balls in 142 innings in 2023. Carlos Carrasco has issued 9 walks in 12.2 innings.

But the most concerning number is Triston McKenzie who has walked 12 in 13 innings with just five strikeouts. Some have speculated that command issues stem from arm issues, and with McKenzie missed most of ’23 with injuries, it is definitely something to watch.

The bullpen has done yeoman’s work in keeping the pitching staff to where it has the 5th best ERA in the American League.

We know Vogt trusts Emmanuel Clase, and why not, but it seems like the second arm in the pecking order has fallen to Hunter Gaddis.

As a starter, Gaddis was prone to the gopher ball, allowing 11 dingers in nine starts, totaling 38.2 innings.

In his new role, Gaddis has been dominant so far, appearing in eight games for a total of 7.2 frames, striking out 11 and walking two, with just four hits allowed.

Scott Barlow was expected to be the primary set up man for Clase to begin the season, but he has had some control issues, allowing six free passes in 7.1 innings.

Cleveland pitchers have allowed the fourth most walks in the AL, and we know that Carl Willis has always emphasized the importance of getting ahead in the count. Hopefully, the staff starts doing what the veteran coach teaches, and starts it soon.

Issuing so many walks have the staff on a tightrope, and the walks by the starters are putting too large of a toll on the relievers.

Some Good, Some Bad As Cavs Head To The Playoffs

Well, the Cleveland Cavaliers survived the slog they have been plowing through since the All-Star break and will have home court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The next challenge will be to win a series, maybe two, and get on a run in the post-season.

The Cavs’ first round opponent is not determined as of yet because as of this morning, Orlando, Indiana, and Philadelphia are all tied for fifth in the conference standings, and actually, J.B. Bickerstaff’s crew could wind up in the #2 spot in the East as they sit just a game behind Milwaukee and New York in the standings.

However, Donovan Mitchell will not play today and Darius Garland may not as well. We will see who Charlotte plays, but it looks like it will be kind of like a scrimmage today for the Cavs.

Even though the wine and gold have won the last two games at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse after a disastrous west coast trip, we still aren’t confident in their chances when the playoffs start next weekend.

Wednesday night, we get it. After losing three in a row, it is tough to get back into the win column, and the Cavs were very sluggish against a Memphis team that was kind of using a “G League” roster.

And in Friday’s win, which should have been treated as a playoff game against Indiana, because had Cleveland lost, they would likely not have home court advantage, the Cavs blew a big first half lead, before holding on to win.

THE GOOD THINGS WE SAW

Mitchell is looking healthier. He scored 62 points in the two games, shooting 45% from three point range, and dished out 13 assists.

Evan Mobley looked active. Against Memphis, he was deflecting passes and blocking shots, getting 12 points and 12 rebounds. Friday, he was plaqued with foul trouble, but made 6 of 7 shots, although he did take an ill-advised three late in the game.

Caris LeVert continues to be unsung and really, underappreciated. The Cavs finally seized control of the game when LeVert arrived in the third quarter. He was +13 in that quarter alone. And against Indiana, he scored 16 points, grabbed six boards and dished out five assists.

TROUBLESOME STUFF

In the playoffs, each possession has added importance, and that’s what continues to concern us about Darius Garland. Somehow in Wednesday’s win, he was only charged with three turnovers, watching the game, we would have figured double that number, and against the Pacers, he did make several huge threes down the stretch, but we hold our breath when he has the ball and is pressured defensively.

If Garland is having problems with this in the playoffs, will the coach cut back his minutes? As we all know, the playoffs are a different game.

We understand Bickerstaff doesn’t like playing a lot of guys, and we also know Sam Merrill is banged up right now. However, we also feel in the playoffs, you need players who have been there.

Marcus Morris didn’t play in either of the two games and has been seemingly out of the rotation since the win over Utah. Tristan Thompson has barely played in the last 10 games.

We think the Cavs are going to need them in the post-season. Remember last year, when Danny Green was needed after only playing three games in the regular season due to injury?

Let’s hope Bickerstaff opens his mind to playing more guys in the post-season. If someone like Georges Niang (although we think he will be fine in the playoffs) is struggling, you have to try someone else.

There is a fine line between confidence someone will do the job and it becoming a problem for the good of the team.

As everyone found out last season, the NBA playoffs are different.

Locker Room Issues Rumbling For Cavs?

Recently, reports have surfaced that the Cavaliers contemplated a coaching change earlier this season when the team was struggling, and he is certainly coaching for his job the rest of this season.

The latter is no shock. We have been saying all year long the reality of the 2023-24 NBA season is if the Cavs either didn’t make the playoffs or was bounced again in the first round, J.B. Bickerstaff is going to be looking for employment when it ends.

However, the front office should be call into question if there was a thought of firing Bickerstaff earlier in the season. Why? Because if they weren’t firmly in his corner after the first-round loss to New York in April, they should have cut bait with him then when a couple of solid candidates were available.

Former NBA championship coach Nick Nurse was let go by Toronto after five seasons, four of those being over .500. Ime Udoka, who was let go under odd circumstances in Boston after guiding the Celtics to a 51-31 record and a berth in the NBA Finals, was also available.

And although we aren’t big fans, Mike Budenholzer, who won a title guiding the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020-21, and has a .600 winning percentage in the regular season was also let go by the Bucks following the year.

If the Cavs weren’t “married” to Bickerstaff and were going to think about letting him go in the first half of this year, they should have made the decision after last season. It’s unfair to start the next campaign already second guessing.

But here we are, and the most recent loss on the road for Cleveland just added fuel to the fire of those who have lost confidence in Bickerstaff, and no doubt the front office is included.

The Cavs scored 80 points in the first half and led by 26 with 9:35 left in the third quarter, 89-63. From there until the end of the game, the wine and gold were outscored 57-29.

There were reports the players were unhappy with the lack of any new strategy being deployed while Paul George scored 23 points in the final stanza. By the way, that 23 was more than Cleveland scored in that quarter.

Coaches lose locker rooms when they lose trust. Players know who can play and who can’t play. They also know when an opposing player is on a roll, you have to change up defensive looks.

When a coach doesn’t recognize this, the doubt starts to creep in, and the trust crumbles. Not playing Marcus Morris a game after awarding him in the locker room has to be a head scratcher. Watching Sam Merrill shoot the lights out and then get benched probably has the same effect.

We aren’t around the team, so we don’t know for sure these things caused issues, but players can see what is working and what isn’t. This happens at every level.

So, if the trust is gone between the coach and the players, then the front office either has to change the coach or the players. If the Cavs lose in the first round of the playoffs, we think there will be some of each.

An Early Tough Gut Punch For Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are off to a very good start this season, but it didn’t make them exempt from getting bad news. Saturday, it was announced that Shane Bieber would have to undergo elbow surgery and miss the rest of the season.

It’s a blow for sure as the right-hander looked like he did in his Cy Young Award season in his first two starts, throwing 12 shutout innings with 20 strikeouts and just one walk.

Immediately, some fans raised the white flag on the season, but the players and Steven Vogt don’t and won’t feel that way. Since Bieber is a starting pitcher, they really only have to replace him once every fifth day.

Not to say we told you so, but the availability of Bieber as well as Triston McKenzie were two reasons we didn’t understand the organization’s decision not to add any pitching over the winter. McKenzie missed most of the 2023 season with an elbow issue, and hopefully he will make 30 starts, but it will be a pleasant surprise.

So, where does the organization go from here. First, many people have said the Guardians need to make a trade, but it’s so early in the season, it would seem to be difficult to find a trade partner.

Gavin Williams is down in Arizona right now building up his arm due to a tweak in his elbow (there’s that joint again), and if all goes well, he could be back by the end of April, and could take Bieber’s spot in the rotation.

Williams, if he can remain healthy, has the look of a stud starting pitcher and did well last season with a 3-5 record and 3.29 ERA and almost a strikeout per inning.

Until Williams is back, it could be Xzavion Curry or Ben Lively, the one free agent pitcher the Guardians did sign in the off-season, getting the ball.

Both pitchers are on rehab assignments after catching the flu/virus bug that traveled around the clubhouse in Arizona but were being stretched out as starters before they became ill.

Curry made nine starts a year ago and went 2.2 innings in his first outing at Columbus, while Lively, a 32-year-old veteran, made 12 starts last season for Cincinnati after spending the 2020-22 seasons in Korea as a starter.

Lively was 4-7 with a 5.38 ERA with the Reds in ’23, striking out 79 and walking 25 in 88.2 innings. He did allow 20 dingers with the Reds, and before you blame the bandbox stadium in the Queen City, the homers were divided equally home and road.

He went three in his first rehab outing.

With Sunday’s rainout and Thursday’s off day, the Guardians can get to next Tuesday’s game at Fenway Park before needing a fifth starter, so either Curry or Lively should be ready to give Steven Vogt at least five innings by then.

The way Bieber looked in his first two starts was so encouraging though. Through nine games, only three starters have completed six innings and Bieber’s starts were two of those.

Vogt is going to need Tanner Bibee and Carlos Carrasco to give him more innings in order to keep the bullpen, which has been excellent so far, fresh.

That duo hasn’t pitched poorly, but through their four combined starts, only Bibee has seen the sixth inning and that was just for one out.

The Guardians will continue to proceed with their “win today’s game” attitude, which is how it is supposed to be.

Losing Bieber for the rest of the year is a blow, but it happened early enough for the organization to adjust.

Have Cavs Put Together A Solid Roster?

Certainly, the Cavs’ recent struggles have put a spotlight on J.B. Bickerstaff. And to be honest, the coach doesn’t help himself with some very weird choices.

For example, in a game where the Cavs where getting hammered at Phoenix Wednesday, trailing by almost 30 points in the first half, the coach used basically seven players, and Sam Merrill and Marcus Morris each played just four minutes.

Remember, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade (perhaps joining Ty Jerome on the mysterious injury list), and Craig Porter were not available.

But, enough dogging on Bickerstaff. We go back and forth on what is more of an issue for the Cavs, the coaching or the composition of the roster, which would fall on Koby Altman.

A common theme when we discuss the wine and gold is our belief that the roster is small by NBA standards. Yes, the Cavs start Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, both 6’11”, legitimate big men. However, they are usually at a height disadvantage at each of the other three positions, particularly against the better teams in the NBA.

Look at the other teams battling Cleveland for the 2nd through 5th spots in the Eastern Conference and who they start at point guard, #2 guard, and small forward:

Cleveland: Darius Garland (6’1″), Donovan Mitchell (6’3″), Max Strus (6’5″)
Milwaukee: Damian Lillard (6’2″), Malik Beasley (6’4″), and Khris Middleton (6’7″)
New York: Jalen Brunson (6’2″), Donte DiVincenzo (6’4″), and Josh Hart (6’4″)
Orlando: Jalen Suggs (6’5″), Gary Harris (6’4″), Franz Wagner (6’10”)

Altman’s first top ten pick upon getting the job was taking Collin Sexton, a 6’3″ guard. After LeBron James left for Los Angeles as a free agent, the Cavs needed a guard who could score, so we understood the pick.

However, several mock drafts had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a 6’6″ guard going in the top six and he was still on the board when the Cavs’ picked at #8. Cleveland liked Sexton because of his toughness but traded him after an injury plagued fourth season.

Altman doubled down the following year, selecting Garland with the 5th overall selection. To be honest, we liked Jarrett Culver, a 6’6″ guard out of Texas Tech who is no longer in the NBA. But taking smallish guards in back-to-back years put the Cavaliers on the path to being a smaller team.

Garland is a good player, so it’s a solid choice, it’s just curious because of the Sexton selection the year before.

In 2020, Altman picked Okoro, a 6’5″ defensive specialist with the 5th pick. We said (at the time) picking a defensive player who was not a big man that high was a huge risk. Okoro’s offense is starting to develop, but the predicament Cleveland finds itself in is offering a contract extension at a much larger salary.

We would have taken Obi Toppin, a 6’9″ forward, who we feel can play both forward spots and is averaging 10.1 points per game with the Pacers.

Altman did try to go big when he traded for Lauri Markkanen, a seven-footer who could play small forward, and really was part of the reason Cleveland jumped from a lottery team to a playoff squad. But the former University of Arizona standout was part of the package to get Mitchell.

Getting Jarrett Allen was a coup, but the Cavs basically got him for nothing, and what GM would have turned down that request.

And drafting Evan Mobley was a no brainer.

He did go big for Mitchell, a very bold move. But Bickerstaff is still stuck with having to play Okoro and Strus, both 6’5″ at small forward where they are undersized.

Whether Mitchell decides he wants to stay here or turns down the extension, our guess is things will look very different when the Cavs report to training camp in September.

If Mitchell re-ups, our guess is Garland will be moved. If he doesn’t sign, the Cavaliers will look to move their all-star guard for players and draft picks.

We still believe when it comes to hoops, it is better to err on the side of size. You don’t want to draft untalented big men, but notice the lack of players 6’7″ to 6’9″ on the roster.

So Far, So Good For Guardians

The baseball season is way too early to make any legitimate comments about the Cleveland Guardians’ start. First, seven games is just 4.3% of the season schedule.

Second, Steven Vogt’s squad spent the first four games playing the Oakland A’s, who may just be the worst team in the sport this season. That doesn’t mean we aren’t happy they took three out of four in Oakland. As we always ask people who pooh-pooh beating poor opponents, would you rather they lost?

Certainly, the series in Seattle and Minnesota will be more of a challenge for the Guardians, but as we said earlier, it is much too soon to make any blanket statements about the 2024 team.

It is difficult to judge the performance of the hitters against the A’s pitching staff, but that doesn’t mean beating Luis Castillo on Tuesday night in Seattle wasn’t impressive. Two of the things we felt would improve the offense, upgrading at catcher and centerfield have showed a bit.

Myles Straw hit just a single home run a year ago and knocked in just 29 runs for the season. Tyler Freeman, getting the bulk of the playing time out there so far, has already matched the dinger total of Straw, and he’s knocked in four runs already.

And Bo Naylor had the big blow against Castillo, a two-run shot, and he’s already drawn three walks in the four games he has played.

One thing that has stuck out was the performance of the starting rotation the first time through. Shane Bieber has been phenomenal, looking every bit like the two-time all-star he is after two appearances, but the rest of the starters have struggled in one area.

None of the other starters has been terrible, but they have had a problem giving Vogt length. It’s not a big deal early in the season, but if it continues, the bullpen will have to carry a heavy burden.

Logan Allen and Carlos Carrasco fought through five innings, Tanner Bibee went just four, and Triston McKenzie lasted just 3.1. The latter two really struggled finding the strike zone consistently, so let’s see how they pitch in their next outings vs. Minnesota this weekend.

It was encouraging to see Allen go 6-2/3 innings yesterday.

As an organization, the Guardians are centered around the starting rotation, and if they can’t take the load off the bullpen, that could be an issue.

On the other hand, the relief corps has been ravaged by injuries and illness, yet they performed admirably this far. Rookie Cade Smith was particularly impressive, fanning nine in 4.1 innings, and Hunter Gaddis might prove to be a weapon out of the ‘pen, with three scoreless outings.

We are sure it would ease Vogt’s mind if he could get six innings out of the rest of the rotation the next time through.

Back to the offense, the key is watching how the hitter perform against good pitching, which the Mariners and Twins have. Putting up competitive at bats is a good thing and something to watch against Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan.

The offense is the part of the team that was the biggest question mark coming into the season. We will continue to monitor if there is progress in scoring runs.