Cavs Back To Being Short On Big Men

For years, we have wondered about the Cleveland Cavaliers and their aversion to have big men on the roster. And it has raised it’s ugly head once again.

After winning the title in 2016, the franchise has seemed to ignore having traditional big people (read: rim protectors) on the roster.

And when they have signed these guys, such as Chris Andersen and Andrew Bogut, injuries have occurred, so neither player could make a real impact.

Since the middle of last season, that seems to have changed a bit, with GM Koby Altman trading for Andre Drummond, and then trading for Javale McGee before the 2020-21 campaign. That gave J.B. Bickerstaff four solid players at power forward and center. The two we mentioned as well as Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr.

Unfortunately, Love has pretty much been absent this season (he has basically played one game) with a calf injury and once again, Bickerstaff’s rotation has a big gaping hole.

Nance is kind of a swiss army knife, contributing some scoring, rebounding, and passing as well as being able to block shots (8.3 ppg, 7rpg, almost 5 assists), so the starting lineup is probably better defensively, but they lose Love’s outside shooting.

The problem is not having someone with Nance’s versatility off the bench. Dean Wade appears to be over matched and we believe we weigh more than Thon Maker, the coach’s first options to soak up the minutes at the #4 and #5 spots on the court.

So, Bickerstaff and the Cavs are back to having a shortage of big people. We think it is possible to play small for a limited amount of minutes in a game, but generally, you need players who can contest shots around the basket. Right now, the Cavs rank 13th in the league in blocked shots, a dramatic improvement from last year’s ranking of dead last.

And if Love were only going to miss a handful of games, it would simply be something the team would just have to battle through. But he’s going to be out a month, so we think Altman should be hunting for a replacement.

One name that comes to mind is John Henson, who was here a year ago before being dealt to Detroit in the Drummond transaction.

Henson is just 30 years old and can play both PF and C, and averaged 5.5 points and almost three rebounds in 15 minutes per game last season. He would have to be a better option on the court right now than what is on the roster right now.

Another option would be Dewayne Dedmon, now 31-years-old. He put up almost 6 points and 6 boards per night with the Kings and Hawks a year ago.

To be fair, we don’t know what kind of shape either player is in at the present time.

We understand the Cavaliers probably aren’t going to make the playoffs this season, but we know Bickerstaff wants to win as many games as he can, and in terms of big men, he has one arm tied behind his back.

Besides, the back end of the wine and gold roster is filled with developmental players who will get action in the G League when it starts play. It’s not like Altman would have to cut loose someone with all star potential.

If the franchise wants winning to be part of the learning process, then get some players with size who can stay on an NBA court for 8-10 minutes per game.

That would be the right thing to do for Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and Isaac Okoro.

Young Cavs Improving And New Philosophy Paying Off.

With everyone in northeast Ohio caught up in the Browns’ playoff chase, something else has slipped under the radar for sports fans here.

No, not the constant crying of having no money by the Indians’ ownership. But our basketball team has gotten off to a 3-0 start, the first time that has happened since they were the defending NBA champions.

We realize the 76ers did not have all star center Joel Embiid, and the Pistons and Hornets are not in the mix to make a deep playoff run, but still after viewing teams that had little or no direction since LeBron James departed via free agency, it is nice to see a plan and some wins.

The wine and gold are third in the NBA in scoring and lead the league in three point percentage and is third in overall shooting percentage. Can that continue? It’s probably doubtful. But they also lead the league in assists thus far, and after watching a lot of dribbling the past few years, watching this group share the basketball is quite refreshing.

There has also been improvement on the defensive end, which J.B. Bickerstaff promised. Cleveland is 7th in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage after three games. Last season, they finished dead last.

It’s also great to see big people in the lineup and those guys are defending the basket. The Cavs are 21st in blocked shots right now, and while that doesn’t seem to be great, it is an improvement over being last, which is where they were in 2019-20.

We have pointed out the lack of size on the roster since James departed, and while we would still like to see more, it is nice to see Andre Drummond, Larry Nance Jr., and Javale McGee out there challenging opponents driving to the basket.

The young players are getting better too. Collin Sexton is averaging 27.0 points per game on just 18 shots. He’s second on the team in getting to the foul line. He’s not taking that many three point shots.

Now, we know he will not continue to shoot 59% from the floor, but he has continued to play like he did after Bickerstaff took over.

We heard Darius Garland was a star in the fall camp, but didn’t play very well in the exhibition season. But he is off to a great start, scored 19 points and dishing out 8 assists per contest. Again, we don’t think he is going to shoot 50% from beyond the arc like he is right now.

Cedi Osman has adapted to his bench role, playing some of the best basketball of his young career. He’s scoring 15.7 points a night in just 22 minutes of play.

Again, back to the big men. Kevin Love missed pretty much two of the three games, but the bigs still have been outstanding.

Drummond is scoring 20.3 points and grabbing 14.7 boards and forcing turnovers defensively. He has 1.7 blocks and 2.7 steals per game. And he leads the team in getting to the line with 18 free throw attempts.

Nance is playing his typical all around game. He almost had a triple-double on Opening Night, and is averaging 8.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists a game. He is probably the best pure passer on the team.

The veteran, McGee, is playing just 17 minutes a game, but is making a huge impact, getting 10 points, five boards, and a blocked shot per game.

Look, the Cavs are shooting very, very well, and that’s not likely to continue. However, the improvement in the young players and the philosophy set down by Bickerstaff, especially on the defensive end shouldn’t change.

This team is better than projected, that’s for sure, and no one should complain about that. Unless you are one of the “we have to tank” brigade.

Cavs Season Hinges On Organizational Attitude

It is very difficult to predict the final record of the Cleveland Cavaliers this season because we don’t know what players who will suit up in the team’s opener on Wednesday at Rocket Mortgage Field House will end the season with the team.

What we think we know right now is that J.B. Bickerstaff has put more of an emphasis on defense in the regular season for the Cavs than any coach perhaps since early in the tenure of Tyronn Lue. After watching horrible defensive concepts over the past few seasons, this is definitely needed.

If Kevin Love is ready to go in the opener, he and Andre Drummond will make up two the five starting spots in Bickerstaff’s starting lineup. Will either or both be there after the NBA’s trading deadline? Well, that’s anyone’s guess.

Drummond picked up his player option for the 2020-21 season, meaning he can be a free agent after the season, and if he is playing up to the level he established prior to last season, a contending team could be willing to give up a king’s ransom.

Love has been on the trading block pretty much since he arrived in Cleveland before the 2015-16 season, but his contract could be a deterrent to a deal.

It will be interesting to see what Bickerstaff does with the other three starting spots Wednesday night vs. Charlotte.

If he goes by merit, at least from the exhibition games, we would think Collin Sexton should be at the point with rookie Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman at the wings.

Kevin Porter Jr. hasn’t been on the court yet in the four preseason games, and Darius Garland, who was reported to be impressive in post-season camp, hasn’t showed it in the four games the wine and gold played against the Pacers and Knicks.

Once Porter is up to speed, he could replace either Okoro or Osman as a starter, but he figures to be in Bickerstaff’s rotation, along with veterans Larry Nance Jr. and Javale McGee up front. Nance also figures to get some time at small forward. He’s the Swiss Army knife of the team, being able to score, pass, defend, and block shots.

If Bickerstaff is going to use 10 players, does the coach go with second year man Dylan Windler or veteran Damyean Dotson? We would imagine Windler would get the first shot, because Dotson will keep himself ready, and with Windler missing his entire rookie season, we would anticipate the organization wants to see what he can do.

Can this roster make a run at a playoff spot? A better question should be will the organization give them a chance to make that run?

This roster has some talent. Drummond and Love have made all-star teams. Sexton can get to that level, he certainly has the work ethic to do it. Nance, Porter, and Osman are good players, and Okoro should during the pre-season that he might be better offensively that we thought when he was drafted.

However, it comes down to depth. Can Garland be a contributor? Can Windler be the shooter the front office thought he could be when they drafted him? Will Love and/or Drummond be moved at the trade deadline for younger players?

We think the Cavaliers can finish around the 30 win mark, which would be a nice increase from the past two seasons. But the number goes lower if they are going to make moves at the deadline.

In our opinion, this is the year where winning starts being emphasized over “asset accumulation”. We feel J.B. Bickerstaff has that mindset, we don’t know if Koby Altman does.

Giannis’ New Deal Is Good News For NBA.

We love basketball. While we are a fan of the Browns, our favorite sports are baseball and basketball, which makes us a strange sports fan in Cleveland, Ohio.

However, the NBA is getting stale for us, which is painful. It’s a great game played by the best athletes in the world. We were a season ticket holder for the Cavaliers for many years, mostly with mediocre teams, but it was a joy to go to The Coliseum when Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Larry Nance, and Hot Rod Williams led the Cavs to the playoffs.

They just couldn’t get past Michael Jordan.

The staleness comes from the style of play, which most teams are playing. The three point shot has become over emphasized, and the sport has legislated perimeter defense out of the game, meaning the guards are ruling hoops. It’s difficult to stop a skilled point guard.

And while we understand the analytics in sports and embrace some of it, it can have a negative effect. Teams are being built around taking three point shots, which is actually the most difficult shot in the game. This is based on the theory of making four out of ten from behind the line is equal in points to making six of ten inside the line.

Despite all of this, we did hear some news about the league that made us smile this week.

Giannis Antetokounmpo agreed to a five year super max contract to remain in…Milwaukee, one of the league’s “flyover” cities.

We’ve had a theory for years that smaller NBA markets should look for the best non-North American players for sustained success. Why? Those players don’t grow up hearing about the merits of playing in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Miami, the glamour spots of the NBA.

In Cleveland, we’ve experienced this twice with James leaving for Miami and then Los Angeles. It’s his and every other player’s right to go where he wants when free agency hits, but name a top free agent that signed with a new team that wasn’t located in one of these cities in say, the last 20 years?

We had this theory in our mind since Dirk Nowitzki retired with Dallas, spending 20 years with the franchise. Certainly, Dallas has better weather than a northern city like Milwaukee, Detroit, or Cleveland, and a dynamic owner in Mark Cuban, the Mavericks haven’t been a destination city for the star free agents.

It will be interesting to see in Luca Doncic will also play his entire career in Dallas as well.

Player movement will always be a part of sports, especially in the free agent era. However, of the top 15 active players in Win Shares, only Stephen Curry has played his entire career for one team, and only three others, James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Davis, have played for two organizations.

And if reports are true, that latter list could consist of just two soon as Harden wants out of Houston.

The player movement is great for the off-season headlines and jersey sales, and the younger fans love the opportunity to see star players on the same team, but it’s tough for longer term supporters who buy season tickets.

Hopefully, Giannis fulfills his contract in Milwaukee and leads the Bucks to some titles. It would be nice to see another smaller market team joined San Antonio, led by another superstar who didn’t grow up in the US in Tim Duncan, be a consistent contender.

Looking At Cavs. They Have Guys Who Can Play

There is a certain percentage of fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers who are in the forever tank mode, waiting for the next LeBron James or someone of that ilk to come along and make the team contenders again.

The reality is those players come along maybe once in a decade, and so any NBA team should probably have an alternative plan to get better other than getting lucky.

Since LeBron James left via free agency after the 2017-18 season, GM Koby Altman has been trying to accumulate talent, and on face value, he has done that.

And since coach J.B. Bickerstaff has already been fired (probably not justly) in Houston and Memphis, one would think he feels he needs to win in Cleveland, or he won’t get another shot at an NBA head coaching gig.

While we understand the analytics that prevail in all professional sports, we still have enough old school in us to look at players and separate them into two categories: He can play and we don’t know if he can play.

Looking at the current Cavs roster, we see a lot of guys who can play. And that’s a good thing. Now, can Bickerstaff and the coaching staff mold them into a unit that can be cohesive and make each other better? That’s the challenge.

Up front, the Cavs have two former all-stars in Kevin Love and Andre Drummond. That should speak for itself. Between the two of them, there are five league rebounding titles, four by Drummond.

Love can shoot the ball and is a terrific outlet passer, and really sacrificed his personal game when Cleveland went to four straight NBA Finals. Drummond has been on losing teams most of his career, both times he has been in the playoffs, his team was swept. But he’s a skilled big man and a force inside, although not a big rim protector.

In the backcourt, Collin Sexton has grown on us. He’s a competitor to be sure and his work ethic is apparently off the charts. And it has been reported that Darius Garland was the most improved player on the team during the off-season workout period.

How can you not like what Kevin Porter Jr. did as a rookie last season? He seemed to get better each month as the season went on, and his minutes increased as a result, and so did his playmaking abilities. We are anxious to see how much he has improved this coming season.

Cedi Osman seems to be a polarizing figure, perhaps because some figured he was going to be a star for some reason, but he’s a player. He’s not a starter for a upper echelon team, but he can certainly be in the top eight players. His best role is probably more of a slasher, a drive and dish guy more than an outside spot up shooter.

Larry Nance Jr. is a guy who is perfect for a real good team, one reason he is coveted by them. With his perimeter shooting improving, he can get some minutes at small forward. He is probably the team’s best defender and is an underrated passer. He should be among the team’s leaders in minutes, even if he doesn’t start.

Then you have the new players we haven’t seen yet in Dylan Windler and rookie Isaac Okoro. We are anxious to see Windler’s shooting, and how Okoro’s defensive mindset plays in the Association.

And you also have JeVale McGee, who can be a solid rim protector if he comes to play, and another young guard in Dante Exum, who is still just 25, and was once the 5th overall pick in the draft.

The Cavs have some players who can play in our opinion. To us, the biggest message that the organization needs to send is that winning is important. Contending for a playoff spot should be on the table.

The days of tanking and hoping need to be over.

Looking At Bickerstaff’s Experiences…

What do we know about Cavs’ coach J.B. Bickerstaff? Yes, we know his father was a long time coach in the NBA with the Sonics, Hornets, Nuggets, and Washington (both Bullets and Wizards, actually), making five playoffs appearances.

But how has he coached style-wise? We only got to see him for 11 games before the season ended abruptly due to the pandemic. The Cavaliers looked much better under his leadership, going 5-6 after he took over for John Beilein, who guided (?) the squad to a 14-40 mark.

Bickerstaff’s first head coaching gig was with Houston in 2015-16 taking over for Kevin McHale 11 games into the season. The Rockets made the playoffs, losing in five games to Golden State, who of course, lost in the Finals that season to the Cavs.

That Houston team was a veteran group, led by James Harden, who was the youngest of the top five in minutes for the team at 26 years old. Although the Rockets were 21st in defensive efficiency, Bickerstaff gave a lot of minutes to solid defenders like Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverly, and he started Dwight Howard.

They were 7th in pace.

He then went to Memphis after being let go in favor of Mike D’Antoni as associate head coach under David Fizdale. He took over for Fizdale after 19 games (taking over during a season is a common theme), and the Grizzlies played at a slow pace, ranking 29th.

Memphis’ best players were two veterans, Marc Gasol (33) and Mike Conley (30), and the other leaders in minutes were Tyreke Evans (28), Dillon Brooks (22), and JaMychal Green (27).

The following season was Bickerstaff’s only complete season in the NBA, going 33-49 with a team that was last in the Association in pace, and their top eight in minutes per game were all over 25 years old.

It was the season in which Memphis moved Gasol, along with other veterans Green and Garrett Temple, getting Jonas Valanciunas and Avery Bradley.

Again, Bickerstaff gave minutes to some good defensive players, and the Grizzlies ranked third in the league in points allowed.

In the 11 games he was the man in charge last season, he most certainly paid attention to the defensive end. The wine and gold allowed more than 130 points in three of their last five games under Beilein. They allowed over 125 points in a game under Bickerstaff just twice, and one of those was an overtime contest.

One other thing Bickerstaff did was increase the minutes for his best players. Before he took over, Collin Sexton led the team in minutes with 32, followed by Kevin Love at 31, Tristan Thompson, Darius Garland with 30 and Cedi Osman at 29.

With the new coach, Sexton, Love, and Garland increased their minutes per game by four, while Osman played two more. The biggest jump was for Larry Nance Jr., who went from 25 to 31 minutes, and started getting some time at small forward. No doubt Nance’s ability to defend was a reason for the increased time.

So, we feel we can conclude that Bickerstaff is going to emphasize defense, which is good because it’s been a long time since that end of the floor has been a strong point for Cleveland. It could be a big factor as to why Isaac Okoro was the first round pick.

Now, the question is whether or not he is on the same page as GM Koby Altman? For example, let’s say a Darius Garland or Kevin Porter Jr. aren’t working hard enough on that end of the floor (speculation)? Does the coach cut their minutes and does Altman support that, or does he want the players he drafted to be on the floor.

In his past, Bickerstaff hasn’t played a lot of young players, but that could be due to the rosters he has had. But, we feel he will lean on players like Drummond and Love as his anchors.

Also, based on his past records as a head coach, he will want to win, and will probably coach that way. It will be interesting to see how this plays out once training camp and the regular season starts.

What Is Altman’s Plan For Cavs?

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Isaac Okoro, a 6’6″ wing player from Auburn, whose specialty is defense with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft Wednesday night.

We have doubts about picking a defensive player who isn’t a big man or a shot blocker this high in the draft, but let’s see how it plays out. By every report, Okoro has a great work ethic and let’s hope his improves what scouts say is his weakness, his jump shot.

It is very difficult to play offense in the NBA when you have someone on the floor, particularly a wing player, who can’t shoot. The spacing, so important now, is compromised because defenders don’t have to guard the player. They sag off and get into the passing lanes.

However, our real question is the direction of the Cavaliers, led by GM Koby Altman. What exactly is he trying to accomplish?

Certainly, part of the “culture” will be set by coach J.B. Bickerstaff too. But, let’s examine the make up of the current roster.

In two of the past three drafts, Altman has drafted smaller point guards, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, thus duplicating the position. He has also now drafted three wing players in the past two drafts: Dylan Windler, Kevin Porter Jr., and now Okoro.

He also has Cedi Osman and Larry Nance Jr., who was playing some small forward for Bickerstaff when he took over a year ago, on the roster.

If he is trying to build a modern team, one that depends on the three point shot, the problem is none of these guys, excluding Windler, who we haven’t seen yet, but has the reputation of being a good shooter, are exceptional long range shooters.

The league average last season was 35.8% and the wine and gold was 20th at 35.1%. The Cavs’ best players from beyond the arc were Osman (38.3%) and Sexton at 38%. The top 20 in the NBA last season all shot over 40%.

And Okoro’s weakness is said to be his shooting.

Altman certainly isn’t building around size either. With the loss of Tristan Thompson via free agency to Boston, Cleveland has Andre Drummond (6’10”) and Kevin Love (6’8″) as the starters at center and power forward, and Nance as the back up.

Who else? Jordan Bell, who they signed as a free agent? Bell has shown he can rebound, but he’s just 6’8″. Dean Wade is 6’9″, but projects more as a stretch four.

This franchise has seemed to ignore height for years, and we just don’t understand it. Yes, the game has changed to a perimeter one (because of the ridiculous rules against playing defense), but the champion Lakers had big men (Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, and of course, LeBron James), and Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat has Bam Adebayo, Meyers Leonard, and Kelly Olynyk.

You still need big men in the NBA.

What is the direction of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their roster is still terribly top heavy at the point guard and wing spots. They were one of the smallest teams in the NBA a year ago, and have actually lost an inside player in the off-season.

That direction needs to come from the GM and the head coach. Drafting defensive players like Okoro doesn’t give you a “direction” because if the other four players on the floor don’t have the same mindset, it’s not going to work.

Defense is only as good as the weakest defender because good team will find that guy and exploit him.

Right now, the Okoro pick looks like let’s throw another wing out there. Meanwhile, drafting a big man would have replaced Thompson, who was a rotational player who left.

Could it all work out? Of course it could, but now is the time for Altman to come up with an organizational philosophy beyond collecting talent. It takes more than that to win in the NBA.

Is A Revamped Cavs’ Roster On The Horizon?

It will be interesting to see what the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster will look like when training camp opens December 1st.

First, the trading period opened up yesterday, and with the draft coming up tomorrow, will the Cavs be involved in any of the transactions which take place.

Also, Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova, heroes of the title team in 2016 are eligible for free agency, and we would place better odds on Delly returning to the organization than Thompson, who would seem to attract a lot of attention from contending teams.

Then, you have the fates of big man Andre Drummond, who will pick up his player option for 2020-21, but it is doubtful he will be looking to sign long term with Cleveland, and Kevin Love, who has a huge contract, but has seemingly been on the market since his first season with the team in 2014-15.

Another player who has been involved in the trade speculation is Larry Nance Jr., which we think makes sense because Nance is a real good player, and will turn 28 years old on New Years Day. Nance’s game is perfect for a playoff contender because he does everything well, and he’s coming off a career high in scoring (10.1), adding a three point shot to his repertoire.

It would seem to us that he is also the kind of player GM Koby Altman and coach JB Bickerstaff would want around to help a very young basketball team.

Cleveland was said to be interested in some free agents as well, players like Memphis’ Josh Jackson, who is 24 years old, and can play either wing spot at 6’8″, and Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., also 24 years old, and is more of a small forward, and averaged a career high 8.5 points per game last season.

You would have to think since Jones played for Erik Spoelstra in south Florida that he has some idea about defense, which should appeal to the Cavs.

We know we are a broken record (dated reference, we know), but if Thompson leaves, and with Ante Zizic already going back to Europe, the Cavaliers need big people. We wouldn’t mind taking a shot at Nerlens Noel, another free agent who averaged 7.4 points, five rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots with the Thunder last season.

Finally, Altman needs to sort out his backcourt, which is cluttered with the drafting of two smallish guards in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in the top ten the past two seasons. Add in last year’s 30th overall pick in Kevin Porter and another top five overall pick in Dante Exum, and it will be a struggle to get them all decent playing time.

Will one or more of them be moved before camp starts?

Altman is in a tough spot. The Cavs have won less than 20 games in each of the last two seasons, albeit one of them in a 65 game season, and they need to start showing improvement in the win total area.

Trading for more potential lottery picks doesn’t seem like a good idea, getting young players with experience would seem to be a better option.

The biggest thing, though, is finding players who fit together, who complement each other’s game, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. And that’s where Bickerstaff’s influence should come in. It’s his deal, and he should have players he feels comfortable with.

What will the roster look like at the end of the month? Our first clues should reveal themselves this week.

Draft Toppin? That’s Fine With Us.

One week from today, the NBA will hold its draft, about four months later than normal. As we know, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have the fifth overall pick.

In the last two drafts, GM Koby Altman has taken two 19-year-old guards with his first overall pick, and last season had two other first round picks, taking a four year college player and another teenager.

Predictably, Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and Kevin Porter Jr. have gone through a lot of growing pains since they joined the league, and as a result, the Cavs’ record has reflected that, with 19 wins (in 82 games in 2018-19 and 65 games in 2019-20) each year, among the worst in the league.

Since both Sexton and Garland were so young, Altman was banking on potential, and that’s not totally a bad thing.

This year though, it may be the time to step back from that theory. One national writer suggested the wine and gold try to hit a double in this draft instead of going for a home run, and that’s a sentiment we agree with.

That’s why we wouldn’t mind getting Obi Toppin from Dayton, which many mock drafts have the Cavaliers taking.

Saying Toppin is a “double” isn’t an insult, because after all, he was the college player of the year last season. But in recent years, the NBA draft has become an exercise in trying to project the play of young men basically a year out of high school.

Toppin is not that. He’s 22 years old.

To us, being able to put the ball in the basket is the great equalizer in hoops, and Toppin can do that, averaging 20 points a game at Dayton, shooting 68.8% from inside the three point line, and shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc.

If you can score, a lot of bad things can happen during a possession, but if you get the ball to the scorer and he puts the ball through the hoop, the result is the same as if you executed perfectly.

The scouting report on Toppin says he has good shooting fundamentals, a high release point, and can be effective in the pick and roll as well as a spot up shooter. All of those things are in the plus column.

He also has a good basketball IQ and is not a selfish player. Again, those are great traits to have on the court.

The supposed weakness for the 6’9″, 220 pound forward is defense. We don’t think this is a big deal, and here’s why.

First, the late, great John Wooden once said the same skills that make a player good offensively translate to the defensive end. And he has demonstrated that he is a good offensive player.

Second, in the NBA, there is a difference between someone who competes on the defensive end, and a player who doesn’t care or want to play on that end of the court. If Toppin has the desire to play defense, even if he isn’t quick laterally, he can do an acceptable job defensively.

Smart coaching staffs know how to hide players who don’t have the tools to be lockdown defenders, but show the “want to” when the other team has the ball.

We know the tendency is recent years for NBA teams is to take athleticism and hope they develop into basketball players. To us, Toppin is already a basketball player.

The “let’s keep tanking” people will disagree, but it’s time for the Cavaliers to start showing some progress in the win/loss column. We think drafting Obi Toppin can aid in the start of that progress.

Altman Says Cavs May Take A Guard. We Say No Way.

It is anybody’s guess as to when we will see our professional basketball team again, as it has been reported that the NBA season may not start until after the calendar turns to 2021.

The Cavaliers are currently getting some work in at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, as part of the program for teams that were not invited to the “bubble” in Orlando.

So, coach J.B. Bickerstaff gets his first look at his team in six months, although Andre Drummond and free agent to be Tristan Thompson are not taking part in the workouts.

Bickerstaff does get his first look, on the court at least, of rookie first round pick Dylan Windler, who missed the entire 2019-20 season with a stress fracture in the leg, and subsequent surgery to repair it.

The next big order of business for the franchise is the draft, which will be held on November 18th, with the free agency period apparently to follow, although that is not confirmed.

The Cavaliers have the fifth overall pick, and GM Koby Altman has said the wine and gold will take the best player available at that spot, even if it is a guard.

Don’t believe that for a second. It is pure rhetoric unless the roster is overhauled before the draft occurs.

The Cavaliers have drafted guards in the top ten of the draft the last two years, and both are primarily point guards. With only five players on the floor at one time, you cannot have this kind of duplicity on the roster.

In addition to Collin Sexton (2018 first rounder) and Darius Garland (’19), Altman also used the last pick of the first round, which he traded for, to take yet another guard, and Kevin Porter Jr. showed signs he can be a starter in the Association long term.

So, while saying you are going to take the best player available, which is typical GM-speak going into a draft, you don’t want your organizational leader saying “we really don’t need this position, so we are going to reach to take a lesser player”, if the Cavaliers take another guard at five, it would be a colossal error.

It has been reported that Altman doesn’t want to move either Sexton, who looked much better after Bickerstaff took over as head coach, or Porter, who averaged 12 points per game after December 1st, and is the bigger guard the team needs.

That would leave the organization open to moving Garland, although they would be selling low on the second year guard, but could package him and the fifth pick this year to get a young, veteran, and yes, taller player.

Remember, the Cavs were the smallest team in the NBA a year ago, and even though they made the deal for Drummond, they lost another tall player in Ante Zizic, and Thompson could be gone by the time training camp opens.

The Cavs already have a logjam in the backcourt with Sexton and Porter the likely starters, with Garland needing minutes to develop, and don’t forget Dante Exum, a bigger guard who was the fifth overall pick in 2014, and will be only 25 years old when the next season opens, provided it opens before next June.

Don’t panic about Altman’s comments, because they are purely rhetoric, draft speak. It would be a shock if he took another guard in this draft. More likely, they will take a big man or a taller wing player.

That makes the most sense.