Cavs Need More Than Tinkering To Advance Next Year.

In watching the NBA playoffs, we continuously think about the Cavaliers’ first round defeat in five games at the hands of the New York Knicks. We think about it because the Eastern Conference’s 8th seed, the Miami Heat, advanced to the NBA Finals

We also think watching the Heat and this is a huge off-season for the Cavs’ organization, and the heat should be turned up on the seats of both Koby Altman and J.B. Bickerstaff.

In reading wrap ups about the series, it seems the scapegoats for fans and some media are Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.

Mitchell takes blame because he is the star player, and when many national analysts look at a team’s failure, they perceive the problem as the best player simply didn’t play well enough.

Allen takes blame because Cleveland was hammered on the boards, and since he’s the center, it’s his fault. We aren’t saying he’s blameless, but part of the problem was the Cavs’ defensive philosophy. Allen was in help mode and was caught out of position.

Our feeling is the coaching staff did little to help either player. The Knicks were trapping Mitchell and Darius Garland to force them to give up the ball, but it seems the coaches never came up with a counter.

Why not move Mitchell off the ball and have him run off screens to get open and get the ball where he can just shoot it with a good look? As of Allen and Mobley, it doesn’t seem like the wine and gold run anything for either offensively. Therefore, teams don’t really need to guard them to take away anything.

As for Altman, he gets a lot of praise for getting Mitchell and drafting Mobley. While we can debate the price for the former, it doesn’t take a special basketball mind to go after a multiple time all-star player. It takes guts to give up what is needed, but it’s not like he found a diamond in the rough.

He did take a chance on Mobley in some regards, as we didn’t think he would have made an impact so quickly because of his slight build. But there is no questioning his talent.

NFL general managers make their reputation on finding gems in the later rounds of the draft, the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds. To us, NBA GMs make their bones finding solid players to make up the bench.

Right now, we would say Altman has not done a good job in that regard, and let’s face it, he whiffed on the Isaac Okoro pick at #5, despite what the organization continues to tell you.

Of the 58 players in that draft who played in the NBA, Okoro ranks 51st in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player). Among the players the Cavaliers could have selected are Tyrese Haliburton, who made the all-star team this season, Onyeka Okongwu, who was selected with the very next pick (9.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG this year), and the player we wanted, Obi Toppin, a 6’9″ player who can play on the wing.

Because of injuries, Dylan Windler simply hasn’t contributed, and when he has played, he’s made just 32.2% of his threes, belying his reputation as a shooter.

And the bench just isn’t there. The front office has decided to sign veteran big men the last two years who simply can’t play anymore (Ed Davis and Robin Lopez). They’ve put an immense amount of trust in Dean Wade, who we feel would be at the bottom of most team’s rosters.

He signed Sam Merrill after the trading deadline, apparently to add shooting, but Merrill has been hanging around the NBA for three years and has played in 11 games since his rookie year.

Despite Altman’s comments about staying the course this off-season, if the Cavaliers want to contend for a spot in at least the Eastern Conference finals, they have to bolster the roster from spots #8 through #10, and get much better at small forward.

Doesn’t sound like tinkering, does it?

No Time To Settle For Cavs Now

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already clinched the opportunity to play additional games after the regular season ends. However, injuries continue to plague the young Cavs.

In addition to Jarrett Allen being out, Evan Mobley went down with a sprained ankle Monday night, and hopefully will be back later this week. At 20 years old, he should be a fast healer.

With all the injuries, we are hearing it would be best if the wine and gold would lose in the play in tournament, and thus keep their first round draft pick.

That’s a losing, defeatist attitude.

While it is true no one thought Cleveland would finish with an above .500 record at the beginning of the season, the team isn’t satisfied with that, and neither should the fan base.

Even if the Cavaliers lose in the first round, and quite frankly, it is likely they will, because the top four teams in the East, Milwaukee, Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia, are very good, the experience they will gain will be a huge benefit next season.

And they should also do everything they can to get into the top six in the Eastern Conference, so they don’t have to go through the mini tournament.

No doubt it will be difficult with the injuries, particularly if Mobley misses a handful of games, because much of the success the team had was because of playing the two big men together.

In order to succeed without two of their three best players, the Cavs need to return to the “grit and scrap” they played with earlier in the season. Monday night against Orlando, coach J.B. Bickerstaff went with Lamar Stevens and Dylan Windler down the stretch, and it worked because they played solid defense.

It won’t be easy with games on the road against Atlanta and New York this week, and three of the remaining four games after that trip are against the Sixers, Nets, and Bucks. And only two of the games left will be played at home.

And the Cavs will need players to step up. Moses Brown figures to get some time, perhaps Cedi Osman will emerge from Bickerstaff’s doghouse. They will also need offense from Lamar Stevens and Isaac Okoro.

It would also be nice if Windler A). Wasn’t afraid to shoot and B). Made a couple of shots. His attitude right now seems to be he can’t miss a shot if he doesn’t take it.

We also have to take exception to criticism of Caris LeVert. Yes, we know he isn’t averaging 18 points per game and he’s only shooting a little over 40%. But the other night, he kept taking the ball to the basket, and that’s a welcome sight at times, because too often lately, the Cavaliers start settling for the three point shot.

It’s particularly maddening when they need a hoop to stop the opponents’ run. That’s when you need to work for a good look. LeVert tries to get that good look. It hasn’t gone in often, but we think it will soon.

With six games left in the regular season, this isn’t the time to be complacent or settle for just a winning record. Use the toughness the Cavs had early in the year and gut your way through until Allen and Mobley are back.

We are sure that’s what Bickerstaff wants.

Getting Another Shooter Would Be Huge For Tall Cavs

Last Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost a very entertaining game to the Utah Jazz at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse by one point.

While we were watching the game, it struck us that the wine and gold were kind of playing an older, more experienced version of what they are. Both teams are from small markets, and neither is a destination location for free agents.

The young Cavaliers are taller than the Jazz, but Utah is the second highest scoring team in the NBA, and lead the Association in three point shots made per game, making even more than the poster boys for long range shooting, the Golden State Warriors.

The Jazz are also 4th in the league in percentage from beyond the arc.

Cleveland scores 10 points per night less than the Jazz, making 3.6 less threes than the league leaders (they rank 18th), and are 15th in the league in percentage.

Utah has four players making more than 40% of their long distance shots, and another making 39%.

By contrast, the Cavs have two over 40%, and one of them, Dylan Windler, doesn’t play much mainly because, in our opinion, he is hesitant to shoot the ball. The other is Cedi Osman.

Darius Garland is also making 39% of his threes.

Kevin Love is hitting 36% and Ricky Rubio is at 35%. The player who leads the team in attempts from three point land is Lauri Markkanen, making 33%, although he has made 38.2% of these shots since returning to the lineup from COVID protocols.

The latter’s outside is very important for the starting lineup, although he can do more than be a spot up shooter.

Watching the game, we had the realization that Cleveland needs more guys who can knock down open jumpers from deep, especially with the presence of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley inside.

One problem right now for J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad is lack of “pure” shooters. Collin Sexton made three pointers, but he was really more of a scorer than a shooter. And the man replacing him in the starting lineup, Isaac Okoro, is currently being left alone because teams don’t think he can make a shot from outside.

The second year player, the fifth overall pick a year ago, is making just 22% of his three point attempts, and our guess is until he can make them, he will get plenty more opportunities.

In Monday night’s loss to Milwaukee, Okoro played just 18 minutes, in part because he couldn’t make a shot, missing six shots, including three from distance.

He is a solid defender, make no mistake about that. But much like a good glove man in baseball, unless you can hit at an acceptable level, you don’t get on the field. In hoops, if you are an offensive liability, you can’t be on the floor that long.

Thank goodness for Osman’s development as a long range shooter, because the Cavs would have no one beyond Garland, Love, and Markkanen.

Windler was drafted for this purpose, but he and another reserve, Dean Wade, seem hesitant at times to pull the trigger when they are open.

And neither give you enough in other areas to be on the floor unless they are making shots.

The organization sent Windler to the G-League for a couple of games to see if getting some game time would unlock something. He would seem to be the guy to get more time, but he has to take and make shots when he is in there.

The Cavaliers have made a vast improvement this season and it is mostly on the defensive end. The next step is to get some shooters. Perhaps that will be something GM Koby Altman targets in the trade market if the current success continues.

Otherwise, teams will continue to leave Okoro and the others open and that will provide less room for Garland, Allen, and Mobley to operate inside.

Cavs Off To Tough Start To Home Stand

Last week, we said the Cavaliers losing streak was understandable because of the competition they faced over the past three weeks or so. We then said we would look at how the team was performing after playing Oklahoma City, Atlanta, and Houston at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Well, the first game happened on Sunday night, and it wasn’t any prettier, as the Thunder whipped the wine and gold, 117-101. What makes the score seem worse was the Cavs had a 10 point lead in the first half.

The Cavaliers need to win the next two games at home. They are playing two teams with comparable records and they are in their own arena. We understand home court advantage doesn’t mean as much without fans in the seats (or in Cleveland’s case, not at full capacity), but the next two are winnable, although so was Sunday night’s contest.

We also understand the squad is short-handed, especially at power forward with both Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. out, but J.B. Bickerstaff might have to do some things differently with that duo both being out.

This is not a criticism of Bickerstaff. In fact, right now, the front office should start holding some players accountable for the recent play of the team. Yes, this is a young roster, but outside of Isaac Okoro and Dylan Windler, all of them have gone through an NBA season, and know what the league is all about.

The shot selection by some players is very questionable. You wouldn’t think you have to do this with professionals, but maybe the coaching staff needs to explain to every player what is or is not a good shot for them.

On Sunday night, the bench play was deplorable. Windler hustles and plays presentable defense, but he was drafted with a reputation as a shooter. He’s making 30% of this three point opportunities. He needs to make shots to have a future in the league.

That isn’t to say we’ve given up on him, just that he needs to play better. We believe he’s at the stage where he’s giving opposing players too much credit, such as double pumping when driving to the basket. Take it in strong and go to the free throw line.

Outside of JaVale McGee, the coach is getting nothing from his bench, although he needs to realize this and not have four substitutes on the floor at one time. Play one or two in combination with the starters. Damyean Dotson has some talent, but he’s spent his entire career with the Knicks up until this season. He didn’t learn any winning habits there.

Love and Nance are out, and Dean Wade still can’t get into games. Maybe it would be best if GM Koby Altman cut bait with Wade and found someone in the G League who can play some serviceable NBA minutes.

Perhaps slowing the tempo a bit would help as well, especially to get Jarrett Allen, who really is the Cavs’ best player over this stretch more touches.

Even though we just said Windler needed to make some shots, maybe put him in the starting lineup instead of say, Cedi Osman and let Osman run the attack with the second unit.

We know Bickerstaff has used a ton of starting lineups this year, so what’s one more? Or maybe start Osman and Windler and bring Okoro off the bench. The starters can’t play 48 minutes every night.

The biggest remedy might just be getting a win. All the losing leads to bad habits and selfish play. The Cavs need to experience a win. Unfortunately, it won’t come through wishing and osmosis. It will take playing smart, not taking bad shots, and playing better defense.

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.

No Extra Games For Cavs (And Others) Isn’t Fair.

One of the common complaints about the NBA is the lack of competitive balance. Part of that comes from the nature of the sport itself.

There are just five players on the floor at any time, and if you have a great player, that’s a tremendous advantage for sure. And those great players seem to gravitate toward large media markets and warm weather cities.

It has been said many times before, but it still bears repeating. Since Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered the league in the 1979-80 season, every championship team, save for the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons, have had an all-time great on the roster.

That torch has been passed from Bird, Magic, and Julius Erving to Isiah Thomas to Michael Jordan to Hakeem Olajuwon, back to Jordan, and then to Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, and then to Stephan Curry and Kawhi Leonard.

If you have one of those players, you have a chance to win. If you don’t? You better get one.

Adam Silver and his office, in conjunction with the player’s association, came up with a great idea to resume the season, and finish it in Orlando, Florida.

When the season was stopped in March, many figured (including us), that when the game returned, it would certainly just start with the playoffs, which is what the NHL did.

However, the roundball league likes to do things that seem contrived, and they couldn’t help themselves this time. The resumed the regular season, playing eight games, but not everyone was invited. Eight teams were left at home.

Now, one might say since the eight teams who were not invited to the bubble also had the eight worst records in the league, they deserve to be left out. After all, they are bad teams.

It seems kind of arbitrary though. For example, the Cavaliers stayed home because they won just 19 games, but the Washington Wizards, who won 24 games, gets to play eight extra games.

Worse yet, the Charlotte Hornets, another young team trying to improve, have to sit home even though they won one less game than Washington.

Most of the teams who don’t get the extra games are younger teams who could most definitely use court time.

There was talk of a second bubble for these eight teams to play each other, thus getting the same advantage of some additional contests, and Cavs’ GM Koby Altman was a leading voice to create one, but there is growing belief it will not happen.

We are sure the Cavaliers would have loved to see more of rookies Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. in new coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s system. Heck, they could have watched fellow rookie Dylan Windler actually take the floor in competitive games, something they didn’t get a chance to do all year because of his leg injury.

But they will not be getting this opportunity and quite frankly, in a sport where fairness can be questioned at times, it’s not fair to the teams who aren’t there.

When will we see the Cavaliers next? Quite possibly, it could be in November when training camps will start for the 2020-21 season.

It’s a lost opportunity for the league and the eight teams who aren’t in Orlando.

Cavs’ Forgotten Man: Dylan Windler

Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers would up with three first round picks.

Everyone was hoping they would get the first overall pick with their chances in the lottery, but they would up getting the fifth pick and selected Darius Garland, who played sparingly at Vanderbilt and had an up and down rookie season.

GM Koby Altman moved a bunch of second round picks to get the last pick in the first round, and selected Kevin Porter Jr., who turned out to be one of the surprises of the season.

Porter Jr. played 23 minutes per game, and scored 10 points on 44% shooting and his free throw shooting, a weakness in college (52%), wound up at 72% during his first season in the NBA.

He will only be 20 when the 2020-21 season starts, but he is viewed as one of the building blocks of the future for the wine and gold.

The third first round pick is largely forgotten because he was injured in training camp, and didn’t play a minute last season.

Dylan Windler was the 26th overall pick, a four year college player out of Belmont. A 6’7″ wing player, he shot 54% during his senior season, including 42.9% from beyond the three point arc.

Because he’s a four year player, he will turn 24 years old before the next regular season gets underway, but there is no question he can shoot the rock.

While some long range shooters can be mechanical and slow, the report on Windler (and watching highlights too) is he has a very quick release and he’s also a lefty, which fools defenders used to righties, which is the norm.

And he’s not a guy who just stands around the perimeter, waiting for someone to see him open. He is active without the ball, and will cut to the basket to get opportunities around the basket. He’s also a solid rebounder, averaging 9.3 and 10.8 boards per game in his last two collegiate seasons.

The biggest question, as is for most players coming into the pro game, is how well he can defend. We say it all the time, pretty much every player who gets to the NBA can put the ball in the basket, what determines their playing time is what they can do on the other end of the floor.

It’s not just a quickness thing either. You have to be strong, be able to hold your ground to play defense at the pro level. You have to wonder if Windler has been able to improve his strength while he is recovering from his stress reaction to his leg.

The other issue is it’s a young man’s league in the NBA and Windler will get his first action at 24. How much room does he have to grow as a player? It’s not impossible, some players get better in their late 20’s because they discover their niche in the league.

It’s tough because he lost a year of development because of the injury. There is no replacing experience. Garland and Porter Jr. know what to expect in their second season, Windler doesn’t.

However, he can be a huge asset to the Cavaliers because the team needs both shooting and wing players. They also need players with length, and J.B. Bickerstaff knows that.

Dylan Windler could make the 2019 draft a huge bonanza for Altman and the Cavs if he can translate his the abilities that made him a player in college to the NBA.

Maybe we can see that if the non-playoff teams get their own “bubble” coming up.

Key Word For Cavs? Accountability

Watching Saturday night’s Cavaliers game against the Chicago Bulls, both Austin Carr and Brad Daugherty both mentioned the same word multiple times.

The word was accountability.

Right now, the young Cavs don’t have it.

There doesn’t seem to be any personal accountability from the players themselves, and most of that seems to be because there isn’t any from the coaching staff.

This isn’t a blast on John Beilein because we believe the entire organization is invested in the development of the players drafted over the past two seasons: Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr.

So, this is something that has to come from both the front office and the coaching staff. Together.

Beilein was brought in to teach, to guide the young players in learning the game, to play a style conducive to winning, but it seems right now like while these things are discussed in film review and in practice, there are no consequences for not doing what the coaches want.

There is a fine line between letting players learn while playing and taking away playing time for transgressions, and now that 46 games have been played, perhaps it is time for a velvet glove to be used.

The wine and gold have been blown out the past three games, all at home, by the Knicks, Wizards, and Bulls, all teams in the Cavaliers’ class, that is to say, none of that trio is making the playoffs.

We could understand the lopsided defeats if they were playing the Bucks, Lakers, and Clippers. Or if they lost close games to the lesser lights of the NBA. But getting smoked indicates something needs to change.

The Cavs are reverted to the same god awful defensive team they were last season, although they weren’t a juggernaut on that end of the floor earlier this year. However, looking at the box score, we see John Henson played 11 minutes and Matthew Dellavedova was on the court for five.

Doesn’t seem like defense is a priority for the team if you are playing those two just 16 combined minutes. And yes, we know Delly has had a horrific shooting year, but if defense is important he should play.

After getting blitzed in the third quarter Saturday to fall behind by more than 20 points, the 4th quarter opened with Garland taking a 30 foot shot, and no, the shot clock was not running down.

When Beilein says he doesn’t want Garland losing confidence in his shot, we are sure he didn’t mean a shot like that was okay. Why not take him out of the game at that point?

Later, Dante Exum, who has more size to guard Zach LaVine than Sexton or Garland, was doing a decent job on the Bulls’ leading scorer, but Beilein removed him to put Garland back in the game.

Look, we know winning isn’t the end game for the Cavs in 2019-20, but you have to have some success and also build a foundation for winning down the road, and that begins by having the players be accountable.

The coaching staff put Tristan Thompson on LaVine at times during the game, which isn’t fair to Thompson, who is a very good defender, but shouldn’t be expected to stop a 6’6″ shooting guard on the perimeter.

That’s the problem when you lack size though. The Cavs don’t have any guards long enough to be a deterrent to a guy like LaVine. Hopefully this is addressed soon.

It’s time to take the training wheels off some of the young guys and force accountability on them. Until that happens, get used to seeing games like the three played last week.

Still No Love For Kevin Love

It is a yearly rite of passage for Cleveland professional basketball fans. Each and every year after the playoffs end, there are those who talk about trading Kevin Love.

And we keep thinking that mostly, this makes no sense.

Yes, Love is injury prone, the most games he has ever played in a season with the Cavaliers is 77, and that was in his first year here. He played 75 the following season, and from there it has gone downhill: 60, 59, and last season, 21, although he could have played more if the Cavs were trying to make the playoffs.

And yes, the game has evolved too, and the sport where Love once averaged 26 points and almost 13.5 rebounds per contest is no longer being played. Teams want big men who can defend on the perimeter now, to contest the three point shot, and that isn’t Love’s strength, although he does make an effort.

However, Love is still unquestionably the Cavaliers best player. Shooting a career low 38.5% from the floor, he still scored 17 points and grabbed almost 11 boards per game.

Part of that came from getting to the free throw line with a greater frequency (5.2 per game) than he ever did wearing the wine and gold, his best figure since his last year with Minnesota (8.2 per game).

Many people forget that Love has two second team All NBA honors during his career, which is one more than Kyrie Irving, who made second team this season, and a third team honor with the Cavs.

These “experts” think there is only one way to build an NBA team these days, and that is by tanking and being successful in the draft. Of course, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary as Golden State and Toronto, who have won the last three titles, have not tanked to win.

We aren’t saying we would keep Love under any circumstance, in fact, there are very few players in that category, LeBron James being one of them.

For example, the Cavs were said to entertain offers for Irving after the 2016 season, because if then GM David Griffin could have improved the team in a deal for the former first overall pick, then he absolutely should do that.

We understand Love makes a lot of money, but if Cleveland get under the cap, which they will even with Love on the roster heading into the 2020-21 season, they aren’t attracting big name free agents.

The Cavs played much better when Love was on the floor a year ago, so why not let Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Ante Zizic, and the three rookies, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. play with a still very good player and learn good habits from a five time all star?

If you can make a trade that decidedly helps the franchise, then by all means, make the deal.

For example, we keep hearing Portland as a destination. Then 22-year-old seven footer Zach Collins would have to be involved along with at least one unprotected first round draft pick, preferably after the 2020 draft.

Getting a young big and a future first rounder can make a positive impact for Cleveland.

And if Kawhi Leonard winds up with the Lakers, it would be surprising to see anyone make a huge offer for Love.

If he doesn’t, we still think Love has more value at the trade deadline, where someone can use him, providing he is healthy, as a chip to put them over the top.

Until Koby Altman gets “wowed” with a deal, there is no reason to trade the best player on the team. Unless that player is about to be a free agent, or causing a problem in the locker room, there usually never is.

Cavs Add More Shooting, And That’s A Good Thing.

When LeBron James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the idea was to surround him with shooters, players who needed to be defended on the perimeter so James had driving lanes to the basket.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t follow that blueprint last year, but that’s another story for another time.

That theory was before the sport and the people who build teams within it started to embrace the three point shot, and that revolution culminated in Golden State’s three titles in four years, the first centering around the long range shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

While the 2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers were a bad team, finishing 19-63, they did rank 13th in the league in three point shooting, led by Nick Stauskas’ 43% mark, while recently retired Channing Frye and rookie Collin Sexton both hit 40%.

Last week, the Cavs adding even more shooting drafting Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Garland only played five games at Vanderbilt, but made 11 of 23 attempts from beyond the college three point line, and he hit 75% of his free throws.

And at his workout for the Cavs in Los Angeles, apparently he put on an incredible shooting exhibition from long distance. We can’t wait to see his range when the exhibition games start.

Windler, a four year player from Belmont, shot 40.6% from three throughout his college career, and the last two seasons, hit 42.6% and 42.9% from long range respectively. He was also a career 76.1% maker from the line, with a high of 84.7% last season.

Porter also made more than 40% of his long distance shots in his abbreviated college career (he played just 21 games), making 28 of 68 attempts. Unfortunately, he hit only 52% of his free throws, a figure that has to improve in the pros.

As they say, the NBA is a make or miss league, and it looks as though the Cavaliers got a few more guys who can make shots. We have always said, anyone can be a shooter, what you really need are makers.

The next part of the puzzle is to add size, which Cleveland has seemed to ignore over the past five years.

Outside of Ante Zizic, the wine and gold really don’t have a legitimate big man, although we have yet to see John Henson.

Kevin Love is 6’10” and has been miscast at center at times, but he’s a scorer and rebounder, not really a rim protector or a defensive force inside.

Tristan Thompson is a good defender and rebounder, particularly on the offensive end, but he is very limited offensively, and is still just 6’9″.

Larry Nance Jr. has incredible hops, so he can block shots, but he’s struggles to handle bigger players in the post.

We understand that the game has evolved and throwing the ball in the post is no longer needed to be successful, but having players who demand double teams near the basket helps.

Love does, but that’s probably it at this point.

We would like to see Koby Altman add another bigger player before the season starts. With all the shooters he is bringing in, that could be very important.