Tag: quantum leap

Grant is Firmly on Hot Seat

With the results for the NBA Draft Lottery being learned tomorrow, it reminds us how critical this off-season is for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had the third worst record in the league this season.

While many basketball fans in the area are anxious to hear if the wine and gold indeed move up in the selection process, the reality is what do they win if they do get the first overall pick?

Most experts believe this is a very weak draft, meaning no one selected next month can be expected to make an immediate impact on their new team.

Which is the worst case scenario for the Cavs.

GM Chris Grant needs to bring in someone who can help this team contend for a playoff spot in the 2013-14 season.  He brought in Mike Brown to coach the squad, but no matter who great a job Brown does next season, the fact remains that he has to improve the Cavaliers’ record by 14 games, the amount Cleveland was behind the 8th playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Yes, several of the Cavs’ young players will improve, mostly meaning the four picks in the last two drafts:  Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, and Tyler Zeller.  And the new emphasis on defense will help as well, but the fact remains that Grant needs to add a quality veteran to the mix for the wine and gold to take a quantum leap, record-wise, in ’13-’14.

The best post player available in Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel, who is 6’11” weighs 225 pounds, and is coming off a knee injury.  At his weight, he is unlikely to be ready to play meaningful, productive minutes against experienced NBA big men.  Keep in mind, Noel is 25 pounds lighter than Zeller, who was pushed around a lot last season.

The best wing player is Kansas’ Ben McLemore, who played well in one NCAA tournament game, and disappeared in the rest.  While he may wind up to be a good NBA player, it wouldn’t be a good bet to say that will happen next season.

Why not take a project like these guys if given the opportunity?

First, once again, the Cavaliers need to start winning right away because it is important for the young players not to start developing a losing mentality.  That’s why many teams that inhabit the lottery every year remain there.  The continued losing permeates the organization.

The second reason is that by the time the project starts becoming a legitimate player, his rookie contract has expired.  Therefore, the team has to make the decision to tie a non-proven player up to a long-term contract.

The key word for most of the players who will be picked during the draft is “potential”, and Grant can’t afford to wait for these guys to develop.  He needs someone who can step in to the small forward spot, thus rendering Alonzo Gee to the bench.

They need someone who can play in the post and can score as well.

They have assets to trade.  Grant has four picks in the draft at his disposal and also the wild card could be Anderson Varejao, a very good big man who has had a problem playing at the same time as Thompson.

No matter what happens tomorrow night in the lottery selection or after the actual draft itself, the Cleveland Cavaliers have to be a much improved team.  The pressure is on Chris Grant to make that happen.

JK

This Year’s Rookies Hope to Follow Lead of Irving, Thompson

For most players in the NBA, the biggest improvement in their career is from their rookie season to their second year.  Cavaliers’ GM Chris Grant has to hope that’s the case for rookies Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller.

It certainly has been the case for the reigning league rookie of the year Kyrie Irving and F Tristan Thompson, both of whom have shown great improvement from their first year in the NBA.

First, let’s look at Irving, who has missed his share of games this season, playing in just 56 out of a possible 79 thus far.  With just three games remaining, it appears he will miss 23 contests this year.

Irving’s numbers are up for the most part, with the exception of his field goal percentage and free throw percentage.  This is unusual because the former first pick in the draft is known for his shooting.  He dropped from 47% from the field and 87% from the line as a rookie to 46% from the floor and 85% from the line in 2012-13.

His three-point shooting has improved by a percent this year.

However, his other numbers are up.  He’s averaging four more points a game than last season (18.5 to 22.7) and he’s also dishing out a half an assist more per night.  Of course, he is getting more minutes too, an average of four and a half more than last year. He’s also getting more steals a game too.

All of this while being the focus of opposing defenses when he is on the floor.  Last year, Irving was highly regarded, but this year, every coach knows he is the best player wearing a Cavs’ jersey, and he made his first all-star team.  Despite that, Irving has made a quantum leap in his second year.

He still needs to be more durable, and he must improve his defense if he wants to be in the conversation as one of the best point guards in the league.  He is talented enough to be the complete package at the point, and with improvements in these areas, he could be an elite player in a couple of years.

Although Thompson still has critics, his improvement is even more dramatic.  His playing has increased by almost eight minutes per game, and with more time, the second year man from Texas has made a great leap from his rookie season.

Obviously, the most important numbers are points and rebounds, and Thompson is scoring three and a half points a night (8.2 to 11.7) and his board work is also up by just about three a game (6.5 to 9.3).

However, his is shooting a much better percentage, up five percentage points from the field (43.9% to 49%) and he is now a 62% shooter from the line, up from 55% as a rook.

He is also showing leadership, as he was the most vocal regarding Byron Scott’s job security.  And he went out the first game since the rumors started and put up 29 points and 17 rebounds against the Celtics.

If Waiters and Zellers can improve at the same rate next season, perhaps the Cavs outlook isn’t as gloomy as some think, although outside of Irving, it doesn’t appear any of the three can become all-stars.

However, as good as Irving was in winning rookie of the year honors last season, it still shows a great deal of improvement comes over the summer after your first season in the NBA.

JK