Evaluating The Cavs Rebuild.

Our thoughts on the Cleveland Cavaliers seem to vary on a weekly basis. That’s probably because they are so inconsistent.

They are a very young team, the third youngest team in the NBA, behind only Minnesota and Oklahoma City, so the ups and downs are understandable. And the biggest thing the team needs is probably stability, so the organization has to grow together, the front office, coaching staff, and the players.

Recently, it has come to light that owner Dan Gilbert’s son, Grant, is taking more of a role in the organization. Grant Gilbert is just 23 years old, and hopefully, he will realize what the smartest people can do, realize what he doesn’t know.

If the younger Gilbert takes over the operations of the team, what does that mean for Altman? And if the latter is let go, does the new man in charge hire someone with a long history in the NBA.

Again, the rumor mill has Brock Aller, the vice president of basketball operations and strategy with the New York Knicks, and former Cavalier front office employee (in general terms, he was the “capologist”) returning to head up basketball operations in Cleveland.

Aller is well respected within the league, but he’s an analytics guy. And that might work as long as it comes along with someone who knows the game, who understands how players work together and fit with each other.

The game isn’t all about statistics.

If we were asked who the best player currently on the Cavs is, the answer would probably surprise you. We are sure most fans would say it’s Collin Sexton, averaging 24 points and a little over four assists per game.

We would certainly say Sexton is the best scorer, but the best basketball player, in our opinion, is Larry Nance Jr., averaging just 10 points per night, but adding in seven rebounds and three assists during a usual night’s work.

Certainly, by the amount of supposed interest in Nance at the trade deadline, a lot of NBA teams also see the value in the skill set of the one time Revere High School standout.

This isn’t to denigrate Sexton. If you watched the Cavs’ loss to the Lakers Friday night, you could see they needed someone who can put the ball in the basket, which Sexton can do. Our question has always been, can the two small backcourt players (Sexton and Darius Garland) work long term in the NBA, even today’s version of it.

As for Altman, he should certainly get big kudos for the trade which netted Jarrett Allen, who at 22 years of age, has all kinds of upside. He should be a huge building block for the franchise going forward. We don’t mark him down for the Andre Drummond situation. The Cavaliers gave up nothing to get the big man, and it just didn’t work out.

But what is his second best move? Drafting Sexton? You can make an argument, an analytical argument, that Sexton is the third worst player (using VORP–value over replacement player) in the draft.

And Garland is the worst player using that category in the 2019 draft.

By the way, our eyes don’t agree with those ratings.

And in the most recent draft, Altman drafted a defensive player with a limited offensive game in Isaac Okoro with the fifth overall choice. He’s been a mainstay in the lineup all year, but at 6’5″, he’s too small to play small forward, which is where he spends most of his minutes.

To us, the biggest problem is this is year three in the second post-LeBron James era, and we still really don’t know what the direction of the franchise is. Is it too soon to think that should be the case?

However, if Grant Gilbert takes over the team, he may start asking what is going on with the franchise. And if he doesn’t like the answers, there could be another change at the top for the Cavaliers.

No Big Moves For Cavs, But A Change That Can Still Be Made.

There is one thing that is certain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. And that one thing is change. You can be pretty certain every season that the roster that opens the season will have major changes by the end of that year.

We understand why. The Cavs are far from a finished product, in year three of the second post-LeBron rebuild, and GM Koby Altman should be looking for assets to keep the franchise moving forward.

Cleveland already took part in the biggest trade of the season, the one sending James Harden to Brooklyn, which netted the wine and gold center Jarrett Allen, a major building block for the rebuild, and forward Taurean Prince. The only roster player Altman surrendered in the transaction was guard Dante Exum.

This year was relatively quiet at the deadline, with the Cavs dealing veteran big man JaVale McGee to Denver for a pair of second round draft picks and a young big man, Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein is a seven footer, a second round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2017. He’s played in the league for three years, appearing in 81 games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

He’s a project and can also play some power forward, something McGee really couldn’t do. And since he’s averaged just nine minutes per game in his time with the Rockets and Nuggets, he figures to get more time in Cleveland.

As for McGee, the franchise did right by the veteran. We will skeptical what kind of attitude he would come to town with, considering the Cavs’ rank in the league, and that he has played most of the latter part of his career with championship teams (Warriors and Lakers), but he took the veteran leadership role to heart and was a solid guy, by all reports, in the locker room.

The Nuggets have aspirations of getting to The Finals this year (they traded for Aaron Gordon from Orlando today as well), and getting a big man with McGee’s experience should help in that regard.

So, what do the Cavs do going forward? We would like to see playing time start to be based on merit rather than draft status.

It’s time for the organization to start bringing some mental toughness for the players. Yes, they are a very young squad, made even more so with today’s trade. The oldest guy who gets significant playing time is Larry Nance (28). The second oldest is Prince (26), who is currently injured, followed by Cedi Osman at 25.

There needs to start being accountability for the players. We understand fans want the team to lose and gain a higher pick in the NBA Draft, and maybe Altman feels the same way. And while the team might wind up getting a very talented player, you can’t have the other young players thinking losing is acceptable.

If a Lamar Stevens or a Brodric Thomas are giving Bickerstaff more than say, former first round pick, Dylan Windler, then play the former. This isn’t youth sports where everyone should get an equal chance. If you produce, you earn more playing time.

Ask Dean Wade. He took advantage of his opportunity even though some people, including us, thought he looked unplayable.

It’s called culture, and the Cavaliers franchise has been in a malaise since James departed for Los Angeles. The rest of this season should serve as the beginning of a change.

Cavs Should Consider All Avenues To Improve.

One of the worst things an organization can do to tie an excessive amount of promotion into a player who is either just coming into professional sports or hasn’t made their bones at the professional level.

The Browns kind of did this with Baker Mayfield, especially after his rookie season, when the team went from 0-16 to 7-8-1. It was all Baker, all the time in northeast Ohio, and Mayfield admitted he didn’t work as hard in the off-season after his rookie season. The result following was a 6-10 disappointment.

Mayfield learned and led the Browns to an 11-5 mark and the playoffs last season.

It appears the Cavaliers have painted themselves into the same corner with Collin Sexton. Sexton’s work ethic is not in question, the man is a tireless gym rat.

However, even before the third year pro out of Alabama was drafted, the pick he was taken with was held up as the ultimate prize in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston. It was Brooklyn’s choice, but they spoiled it by playing tough minded ball, and instead of being projected as the NBA’s worst team, they won 28 games.

So, Cleveland wound up with the 8th pick overall, and selected Sexton, who has put up numbers in his two and a half season with the Cavs, a career 19.6 scorer, shooting 45.6% from the floor, and 39% from three point range.

He became the symbol of the new Cavs, the post-LeBron Cavs, although the team went 19-63 his rookie year, and then 19-46 in his second season, shortened by the coronavirus.

There have been many reports with the NBA trade deadline coming up, that GM Koby Altman has told teams several players are untouchable, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, and Sexton among them.

To be fair, the drafting of Sexton was followed by picking another ball dominant small backcourt player in Garland, under the guise of taking the best player available. While that is generally a solid concept in drafting, it is usually done with the expectation of trading from strength at some point to improve a position of need.

But the organization has said they are going to keep both smaller backcourt players. So, that theory goes out the window.

Sexton puts up numbers. He’s improved to 23.9 points and 4.2 assists per game, but his shooting percentage has leveled off from last year. He’s scoring more because he’s shooting more. His second year partner at guard, Garland, is scoring at 16.5 points and 5.9 assists per night, taking on the facilitator role.

Watching games, it is noticeable how much better the offense flows when Garland is on the floor.

Sexton doesn’t seem to have point guard instincts right now, and when Garland isn’t in the game, the offense should run through him, but it doesn’t. Too many times, he reverts to trying to do everything himself.

Cavs’ analyst Campy Russell said after Friday night’s loss to San Antonio, that the teams’ young guards have to learn to get everyone involved.

In our opinion, Altman should consider any move to improve the 2021-22 edition of the Cavaliers. However, there are players we wouldn’t trade either. It would be difficult to find a big man more skilled than Allen, so he stays. And the team needs (we might say desperately) someone with the feel for the game Larry Nance Jr. has. So, we wouldn’t move him either.

And we think Garland shows all the signs of being able to be a solid player in this league, but can a backcourt of Garland and Sexton co-exist and be successful in the NBA? Even the three point happy NBA?

Keep in mind, Sexton is coming off his rookie deal and the Cavs have to start paying him.

Put promotion aside. Yes, the organization held up Sexton as the first piece of the rebuild following the departure of James, but they need to listen on the young guy if they think it can help the wine and gold get back to the playoffs sooner.

We aren’t saying Sexton has to be moved, but we would not be opposed to listening. We are aware we go back and forth on the young player, at times, he looks like he has this game figured out. But then he reverts back.

It’s not easy to build a competitive basketball team.

What Does Second Half Hold For Cavs?

All Star Weekend is over, but the Cleveland Cavaliers still have a little while before they play their next game. They don’t take the court again until Friday night when the New Orleans Hornets come to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

That gives J.B. Bickerstaff a few days of practice time for his young squad, and it will give Larry Nance Jr. some time to get re-acclimated, since he should be back when the second half of the schedule resumes.

However, it also gives GM Koby Altman time to make some roster changes, although he does have until March 25, which is the trade deadline. But the rumors have already started.

It has been reported than there was an offer for Nance involved two late first round picks, and the Kevin Love rumors have started again. Both players should be of interest to contending teams because they both provide things that good teams covet.

Nance is an all around player. He can defend, shoot, block shots, and is a very good passer. Teams with championship expectations love to have players with his kind of basketball IQ. It’s the reason the Cavs wanted him when they still had LeBron James and were trying to win the title in 2018.

Love is a good three point shooter, a solid rebounder and outlet passer, and a better defender than he is given credit for. He was a large piece of a team that did win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.

We understand the biggest factor in moving Love is his extremely high contract, and at age 32, he’s not interested in a long range rebuilding plan, and would welcome a chance to win right away.

However, Nance is exactly the kind of player you want around to not only teach and mentor young players, but he’s at 28, he still could be a part of a playoff team. Heck, at just three games out of the eighth seed currently, the Cavs could make the post-season this spring if things break their way.

Keeping it simple, the Cavs need players, and Larry Nance Jr. can play.

That shouldn’t preclude Altman from making moves though. The Andre Drummond situation is still in play, and teams needing centers that aren’t located in Los Angeles or the New York metropolitan area would be wise to make a trade with Cleveland, because rumors having the big man signing with teams in those areas if a buyout become inevitable. Remember, he also carries with him an expiring contract.

Our guess is the wine and gold get something for Drummond, rather than buying him out.

There are also rumors about Cedi Osman and Taurean Prince as well, it would not be a shock if one was moved before the deadline, although it is interesting that the Clippers, coached by Tyronn Lue, who coached Osman here is interested in him.

Although unlikely, does Altman do something about the guard position? We go back and forth on whether or not the Cavaliers can win with a pair of starting guards under 6’2″. Remember, Collin Sexton can be a restricted free agent after this season, so he is in line to get paid rather handsomely.

Yes, we are aware that Toronto won a championship with two small guards, and both Portland and Utah are winning without height in the backcourt. But did those teams win because they played small at guard? And when you add in that Bickerstaff is using a 6’5″ small forward, it leaves the team very small at point guard, #2 guard, and small forward.

However, we feel that’s something to be discussed in the off-season, after a full year of play. Then the question becomes can Isaac Okoro improve enough offensively to play the shooting guard spot.

Again, this is something that will probably be handled in the summer unless Altman is bowled over with an offer.

It seems the one constant with the Cavs is the roster keeps changing. At least it keeps the people who stitch the names on the uniforms busy.

Left On His Own, Altman’s Been Fine

With the Cleveland Cavaliers were going through their recent 10 game losing streak, the natives started getting restless. Should the franchise replace GM Koby Altman, who has been at the helm since June 2017, taking over for David Griffin.

Since Griffin was the architect of the only championship team the city has seen in the last 56 years, he is revered here so Altman faced an uphill trek because of that. And it didn’t help that he is the GM of record on the Kyrie Irving trade to Boston, which many feel had owner Dan Gilbert’s fingerprints all over it.

He did pull off the megatrade at the trade deadline of the 2018 season, bringing George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cavs, a deal that if isn’t made, the wine and gold probably do not make their fourth consecutive Finals appearance. Add to that, Nance has become one of the current team’s best players.

We feel in evaluating Altman, we should be talking about the man guiding the rebuilding of the franchise. It is difficult because early on in his tenure, it is difficult to judge what moves were made by Gilbert and which were made by Altman.

For example, we feel the signing of Kevin Love and the hiring of John Beilein as coach were moves made by ownership. Both were mistakes. Love’s contract seems to be an untradeable albatross, although we remember former GM Jim Paxson was able to move Shawn Kemp’s deal. And Beilein was an ill fit for the pro game, and left after half a season.

Several of Altman’s early moves were jettisoning veterans from the championship team for younger players. Kyle Korver brought Alec Burks, Hill brought John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova. Burks and Rodney Hood brought some spare parts and draft picks.

Altman has bad luck in the draft lottery too. The prize pick in the Irving deal, that of the Brooklyn Nets, was sabotaged a bit by Nets’ coach Kenny Atkinson, who made the team somewhat competitive, so it turned out to be the 8th overall choice. Would Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went 11th, been a better choice? Perhaps, but over the last year or so, Sexton has shown he can be a solid NBA player.

Cleveland had the third worst record in the NBA in the 2018-19 season, but they fell to fifth in the draft and selected Darius Garland. The GM could be criticized for picking small point guards in consecutive drafts, but in this second year, Garland has shown signs he can be a player. And he added Dylan Windler late in the first round, and traded three second round picks for Kevin Porter Jr.

Porter looked like a solid pick, but the issues that caused a talented guy to drop to the last pick in the first round rose up again, and Altman was forced to deal hi to Houston.

The Andre Drummond situation seems to be a negative for Altman right now, but why not take a shot at getting a talented big man for virtually nothing. And when Drummond didn’t sign an extension, Altman got involved in the James Harden deal and picked up 22-year-old Jarrett Allen, who appears to be an all star in the making.

We know you cannot cancel parts of the schedule, but the Cavaliers just went through a brutal stretch of a schedule in which they played six games against top four seeds in each conference, and four more against likely playoff teams. Predictably, they lost 14 of 16.

Altman hasn’t been perfect, but no, repeat no GM is. He deserves to go through another trading deadline and draft to say what progress the Cavs can make in 2021-22. Besides, if he were to be replaced, it would likely mean a new GM would want to hire a new head coach.

Just think, since Altman got the gig, he inherited Tyronn Lue, and he was replaced by Larry Drew, John Beilein, and now Bickerstaff. J.B. will be the first coach to have an entire season since Lue guided the franchise to their fourth straight Eastern Conference crown.

There are more plusses than minuses right now for Altman, especially since the owner seems to not be involved. He deserves to see how it will play out.

Situation For Drummond Changed Quickly.

Man, things change quick in the NBA, especially when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On January 27th, the Cavs beat the Pistons, 122-107 to raise their record to 9-9. Andre Drummond had 23 points, 16 rebounds, and five steals and was a huge part in the victory over his former team. The week before, the wine and gold knocked off the star laden Brooklyn Nets in back-to-back games, giving everyone, us included hope for the current season.

Yesterday, not even three weeks later, the Cleveland brass sent Drummond home until they work out a trade for the league’s leading rebounder.

Since, that game, the Cavs have gone 1-9, with the lone win being against Minnesota, a game in which Drummond did not play. So, that win against Detroit was the last win Drummond will experience as a member of the Cavaliers.

After starting the season strong, the big man seemed like a different player after GM Koby Altman traded for Jarrett Allen as part of the mega-swap involving James Harden going to the Nets.

He averaged 17.5 points for Cleveland this season, but since that Pistons game, that figure dropped to 14.4 and his rebounding dropped to just under 10 per game. To be fair, his minutes dropped from 30 to 25 in February, but did his numbers drop because his minutes fell, or vice versa?

There is a downside to free agency sometimes. Drummond was a free agent at the end of the current season, and the Cavs felt like he wasn’t going to sign with the team long term, so when Allen became available, Altman jumped at the chance to get a good, younger big man, who would be a restricted free agent after the year, meaning the Cavaliers could match any offer, thus keeping him here for awhile.

But Drummond seemed to be bothered by the presence of Allen, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, and he played differently.

When the deal was made, most people, including us, felt Cleveland would be moving Drummond sooner than later, and it seemed to cast a pall on the entire roster. Maybe it didn’t affect the locker room, but it certainly appeared the whole squad was in a funk.

Drummond was held out of Sunday night’s tilt against the Clippers, citing rest. But yesterday’s announcement certainly made more sense. How quickly a move will come is anyone’s guess, but for right now, Allen is the starter at center, with JaVale McGee getting back up minutes.

So, if Drummond’s attitude was an issue, and by the team sending him home, it appears that is the case, the next thing to fix is the defense in the backcourt which is becoming an issue again. Allen is a good defender, but he finds himself covering for players being allowed to go to the basket at will, and no one is helping. Offensive rebounders from opposing teams are getting easy baskets.

And until Kevin Love can take the court again, the move also makes Cleveland very small up front. The starting power forward is Taurean Prince, who is a slight 6’7″. Don’t forget Isaac Okoro, who gets the bulk of the minutes at small forward is only 6’5″, so once again, the wine and gold is very small.

Hopefully, Love and Larry Nance Jr., who have started the majority of the games at power forward will be back sooner than later, and maybe (hoping) another player with size comes back in a possible trade for Drummond.

Drummond’s legacy with the Cavs: 33 games, 17.5 points, 12.9 rebounds. Altman got him for a song, and hopefully gets more than he paid in a deal.

Things can change quick in the NBA for sure.

Suddenly, The Cavs Have Depth At Center

For a long time, the Cleveland Cavaliers played without a true center. Sure, Tristan Thompson was a solid player and did a fine job manning the position in his time in Cleveland, but he’s really a defensive minded power forward.

At 6’9″, he battled against guys taller than him, and basically outworked them, but he wasn’t a “true” center, even in today’s NBA.

Last season, the organizational philosophy changed at the trade deadline when Detroit decided they wanted to unload the contract of Andre Drummond, and GM Koby Altman decided to deal some spare parts.

Since getting Drummond, the Cavs have added veteran Javale McGee via a trade with the Lakers in the off-season, and recently picked up Jarrett Allen from the Nets in the James Harden blockbuster.

When Kevin Love is ready to play, which may be soon, along with Larry Nance Jr., J.B. Bickerstaff will now have cadre of very good big men to put on the court.

Even with Love out, McGee hasn’t been able to get on the court much as Drummond and Allen take all the minutes at the pivot.

Allen will turn 23 in April and is the future for Cleveland. He’s a restricted free agent after the season, and quite frankly we can’t see any scenario in which they do not match any offer given to him, if indeed, they haven’t come together on an extension before that.

He has averaged 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game in the eight games he has played with the Cavaliers, and that is in just 25 minutes per night.

Everyone figured it was going to be a long shot for Drummond, who has been outstanding this season, leading the league in rebounds at 15.1 per night, while scoring 18.5 points and adding three steals or blocks per contest, to sign with the Cavs long term, but now Altman can deal from strength because Allen would be an outstanding replacement.

Going forward, the combination of Allen and McGee makes a lot of sense because they seem to be similar players, giving Bickerstaff a seamless transition when he substitutes, especially on offense.

Drummond plays a different game when Cleveland has the ball. He likes to back his way down into the low post with the dribble, which doesn’t put him a good position to pass the ball outside when double teams come. He also plays more with his back to the basket, traditional center play.

It would not be surprising if the 27-year-old free agent to be will be traded soon to either a contender or to an organization looking to use his expiring contract to create cap space for the off-season.

And contrary to rumors nationally, we don’t think there is any way Altman will buy out Drummond and allow him to become an immediate free agent. He’s too valuable as a trade chip.

Despite how well the Cavs have played this season, a credit to their head coach, they still are a ways away from having a roster that can rank in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings, and they are playing well enough that a high lottery pick isn’t likely.

Even though the NBA game has changed and guards are featured more, there still is a place for big men who can protect the rim. It seems like the Cavs’ organization has remembered that, and are now the place to come to for other teams looking for the same thing.

Sexton’s Hard Work Pays Off

When Collin Sexton was drafted eighth overall in 2018, he was just 19 years old. As fans, we probably don’t remember things like that enough.

Think about when you were 19, we, like you, probably did a lot of dumb stuff. Fortunately, most people don’t do those things in front of thousands of people who are paying to watch you, nor do you do them as part of a group where the other members are folks who have been doing it longer than you.

We were critical of Sexton when he first came into the NBA. He seemed to dribble incessantly. Fans used to keep track of the possessions the Cavaliers had where Sexton and only Sexton touched the ball.

His veteran teammates didn’t like playing with him for that reason.

Still, there were things that should have been looked at as positive signs. Sexton is a basketball junkie, working on his game endlessly. There were stories about how Cavs’ management had to order him to leave the practice facility.

He also never had any issues off the court.

Scouts said his outside shooting was his weakness at Alabama, where he played for former NBA player Avery Johnson. But he shot 43% from three point range in his rookie year, averaging 16.7 points, three assists and three rebounds playing in all 82 games.

He was hailed as one of the most inefficient players in the game. The Cavs went 19-63 in the first year after LeBron James departed for Los Angeles. Since he was drafted with the choice obtained in the Kyrie Irving deal, which the front office clung to with all their might, Sexton became the symbol for all that was wrong with the wine and gold.

In his second year, Sexton was paired with the fifth overall pick the following year, another smaller guard in Darius Garland, who played all of four games at Vanderbilt. More losing followed and at the All Star break in his second season, the second year pro averaged 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, and his three point shooting dropped to 36.5%.

Something changed for Sexton when play resumed after the break. Not initially, though. In February, Sexton averaged 21.9 points, and his assists started to go up, from under three in every month, to 4.1 in February.

At the end of the month, Garland was injured, and Matthew Dellavedova started getting playing time, getting at least 18 minutes in the last eight games of the shortened season.

How does that figure into Sexton’s blossoming into a very good player? When Delly was on the floor, the ball started to move better, the Australian averaged seven assists per game in these contests.

We believe Sexton saw how the team was better when the ball moved and his assist total increased by a half of one per game.

We noticed a difference watching the game. The ball didn’t stick when he had it. His shot selection improved, he was growing as a player right in front of our eyes.

This season, Sexton has taken it to yet another level. He’s scoring 26.8 points per game on 52% shooting, 46.8% from three. His assists have improved by one, going from 3.0 to 4.2. His turnovers are down as well.

Suddenly, he is the best player on a team with a realistic shot at making the playoffs.

And after GM Koby Altman acquired Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince in the James Harden deal, a transaction which right now borders on robbery, the Cavaliers are young, long, and deep. As long as Andre Drummond is still wearing a Cleveland uniform, J.B. Bickerstaff has three rim protectors in Drummond, Allen, and Larry Nance Jr.

The players have also bought in to Bickerstaff’s defensive system, Cleveland ranks 4th in the league in defensive efficiency, a tremendous improvement from the past several years.

The roster is filled with hard workers, improving their games every off-season. Altman should be given credit for that, and Bickerstaff should get a ton of credit for giving these players direction, seemingly for the first time since James left.

It’s fun to watch the Cavs again, and it’s fun to watch Collin Sexton grow as a player. He’s a reminder that perhaps fans and experts shouldn’t put a label on players just one year out of high school.

However, Sexton should get all kinds of credit for changing his game, growing as a basketball player. He’s proof that sometimes hard work does pay off.

Cavs Get Involved In Mega Deal, And Get Better

The Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten off to a pretty good start this season, considering the injury problems that have beset J.B. Bickerstaff’s team.

They are sitting at 5-7, remarkable really, when you realize Kevin Love has played two games, Collin Sexton has missed four, Darius Garland six, and rookie first round draft pick Isaac Okoro five. And it doesn’t take into consideration that one of last season’s bright spots, Kevin Porter Jr., hasn’t even suited up.

However, GM Koby Altman saw a chance to improve the team when the Brooklyn Nets wanted to get disgruntled star James Harden, and got involved. And at first look, he cashed in big time.

He dealt a first round draft pick, don’t panic, not ours, it’s Milwaukee’s in 2022, which wouldn’t seem to be a lottery pick with Giannis Antetokounmpo staying there, a second round pick, and Dante Exum, currently injured to get Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince.

In watching Allen play against the Cavs in his three year career, we loved him as a player. Not yet 23-years-old, the 6’11” center averaged 11.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the regular season, and then 14.8 rebounds per game in the Nets’ four post-season games.

He shot 65% from the floor last season, and is a career 70% shooter from the free throw line.

He’s a classic big man too. He took just six three pointers a year ago. He’s a rim protector, a rebounder, and a low post presence. And again, at his age, he will get nothing but better.

We believe as he gets more experience, he will more a major force inside for the Cavaliers.

Our first thought when the deal was announced was Andre Drummond’s time here isn’t long. Drummond is a free agent at the end of the year (Allen is restricted, so the Cavs will have to pay him next summer), and no doubt Altman will be looking for a contending team who wants to pony up for a big man who is currently averaging 18 points, 15 boards, and is playing very good defense this season.

The wine and gold also received small forward Taurean Prince in the deal. The 6’7″ Prince’s best season was probably his second year in the league with Atlanta, averaging 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds a night. He will be 27 in March, fitting in with the Cavs’ youth movement.

Last year with Brooklyn, he scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, while shooting a career low 37.6% from the floor. He also took the most three point shots of his career, so maybe he’s better off using the mid-range game.

Again, the cost was more than reasonable to pick up two players who should be in Bickerstaff’s rotation immediately, and both are good defenders.

We also love the addition of size. With Love out of the lineup, the Cavs have been forced to use two way player Lamar Stephens and Dean Wade in the rotation. For the time being, Bickerstaff now can use Drummond, JaVale McGee, Allen, and Larry Nance Jr. at the #4 and #5 spots.

And Prince gives the team another small forward to go with Cedi Osman and Okoro, who can also move to the backcourt. It gives them the option to play like a traditional basketball team in terms of skill set, when either Sexton or Garland are on the bench.

Again, you have to believe another move will be coming before the trade deadline with Drummond, who has played very well, and has been much more active defensively this season. It’s just that he’s a free agent, and he is likely to want to move on.

The injuries haven’t allowed Bickerstaff to use his depth, as they are constantly playing shorthanded. This deal gives them even more when everyone is back.

Kudos to the GM for seeing an opportunity to improve the team and doing it. The Cavaliers got better now and in the future.

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.