Tag: richard jefferson

Some Options For Cavs Still On The Market.

As the NBA free agency period is going on, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made one major move in re-signing three point shooter Kyle Korver, and a minor move in inking point guard Jose Calderon as a free agent.

At the end of The Finals, we thought the Cavaliers needed to get younger and longer on the bench, but neither of the moves made accomplished that as Korver is 36 years old and Calderon is 35.

And Calderon is coming off his worst season as a pro, averaging just 3.4 points per game, and seeing his three point shooting percentage drop to just 31%, down from his career norm of 41%.

His defense is also non-existent

Also, Richard Jefferson announced he will be returning for his 17th season, and he will be 37 years old for the 2017-18 season.

Not exactly accomplishing what we think should be the goal for next year, is it?

Here are some guys who are still out there as unrestricted free agents that we would be interested in for the wine and gold this summer:

Shabazz Muhammad:  He will be 25 years old next season and is 6’6″.  His career scoring average in 9.7, with a high of 13.5 in his second year with Minnesota.

He’s a decent defensive player too, and should get better with experience.

Terrence Jones:  He’ll be 26 years this season, and at 6’9″ has a career 10.5 scoring average and 5. 7 rebounds in 24 minutes per night.

He also has solid defensive metrics for his career.  The negative is he’s been with three teams over the last 12 months.  He scored 36 points in a win over the Cavaliers last season while with New Orleans.

Tyreke Evans:  Evans will be 28 this season and is coming off two injury plagued seasons.  In his last full season, he averaged 16.6 points and 6.6 assists per game with New Orleans in 2014-15.

He’s 6’6″ and before he was hurt, his defensive metrics were okay.  He is a player who can create his own shot.

Jeff Withey:  We like Withey as a veteran big off the bench.  He’ll turn 28 during next season, and averages about two rebounds and a blocked shot per game in the 10 minutes he gets.

He’s not spectacular, but does a solid job.  He may not be able to play in a Finals matchup with Golden State, but you have to win the Eastern Conference first.

We understand these guys aren’t familiar to many basketball fans, and they don’t shoot the three like the players Cleveland has pursued for their bench in recent years.

And in spite of our contention that the Cavs need to get younger, if the New York Knicks do buyout Carmelo Anthony, we would love to have him as another scoring option for the team.

Remember that in The Finals, Tyronn Lue received little or no production from his bench outside of Jefferson.  They didn’t contribute on offense, and that was supposed to be their strength.

So, if you can’t get offense, perhaps giving the team better defenders off the bench would be a different tact vs. the Warriors.  We believe younger players would give you a better chance of that.

The longer the players listed remain unsigned, the better chance the Cavs have of getting these guys with the limited room they have due to the salary cap.

That might be their best chance to improve this off-season.

JK

 

Physical Play A Key For Cavs

The most telling thing about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory in game three of The NBA Finals was the reaction of their players.

There were no smiles.  The Cavs knew they had to win that game to keep their chances alive in the series, so it was a very business-like attitude.

Even the usual bench reactions were subdued, meaning the players realized they didn’t accomplish anything.  They know if they don’t win tonight, then it is likely the series won’t go further than Monday night in Oakland, and they would have to watch the Warriors celebrate again.

When asked about tonight’s contest, LeBron James reiterated what he said before Wednesday night’s game, that it is a must win game once again for the wine and gold.

Look, the Cavaliers aren’t going to win again by 33 points.  This game will be a grinder, and the home team is going to need to keep playing aggressive and physical, matching the way the Warriors play, especially defensively.

We will continue to say that Golden State is going to foul you every time you take the ball into the paint.  They slap arms, hit wrists, and bump and grind the lower part of the body whenever the ball goes inside.

Cleveland has to play through this.  And they will also have to be prepared for the Warriors to ramp up the questionable screens they set offensively, because they need Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to start making shots.

That will be something to watch for early in the game tonight, because if they get going, it could be a long night for the wine and gold.

A big question for Cavs’ coach Tyronn Lue is what to do with Kevin Love, who should be able to play tonight after missing game three in the concussion protocol.

Our feeling is Lue should keep Richard Jefferson in the starting lineup and bring Love in off the bench.  Despite what you read, Love is a quality player, and the Cavaliers need him.

For 28 NBA teams, Lue should start Love, without a doubt.  But Golden State is unique, and Love gets exposed defensively against the Warriors’ starters.  That’s no slight against Love, but Cleveland is probably better served being used off the bench tonight.

Lue could also use some offense from his bench, another reason using Love in that role makes sense.

JR Smith started finding the range once the series returned to The Q, and it would help greatly if tonight, Channing Frye was able to get it going and make some shots.

Frye has contributed because the Warriors have stayed close to him, which has opened up the paint for James and Kyrie Irving, but if he could hit a couple of shots, it would ease the burden on the starting five.

The bottom line for the Cavaliers is this.  This is the biggest challenge yet for this basketball team.  The Warriors are going to bring it tonight, hoping to be able to win the title Monday night on their home floor.

If the Cavs can pull it off, then perhaps the momentum shifts, and a little doubt is created in the Warrior locker room.

And they would have to think after two straight losses, that maybe Cleveland has figured something out to slow down the Golden State attack.

Tonight is the biggest game of the season, and probably the biggest game in franchise history.

Will the Cavs be able to pull it off?

JK