Cavs: The Podcast 0033 – The Finals
2013-06-16
Whoa now! We’re closing in on the big day! The draft is officially less than two weeks away.
So Nate, Tom, Colin and I hopped on the podcast line and discussed…what else…the finals! And the offseason, of course. We touched on topics such as Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, the Heat’s supporting cast, potential offseason trades, the Celtics, Clippers, the Cavs (clearly), the draft, and the coaching carousel.
As always, we can be found on SoundCloud at: https://soundcloud.com/cavstheblog/0033-the-finals
And on iTunes at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cavs-the-podcast/id528149843?mt=2
[Ed: Oh, and here’s that article I mention in the podcast about home-field advantage.]
“Frequent trope,” it should read! Though I’m sure Ben would think I made a Freudian slip! Haha!
Ben, the false equivalence I was referring to was you discounting Draftexpress rankings as you said other sites had other people as #1. Draftexpress is the acknowledged leader by everyone to be the most complete draft organization out there. It is literally all they do. I find it interesting how you just repeat your Len number while not even commenting on mine. He shot 68% at the rim. You have yet to address that. As far as post up numbers, what are Noel’s? Look, I like Noel but it is plainly false to pretend he has any offensive game at… Read more »
If we’re going to pass on Noel, I’d rather grab a second tier post than use the #1 pick on Len (eg: Pitt’s Adams). I don’t see much drop off there.
Len looks like a more mobile Enes Kanter . . . but not as strong and not as good a shooter.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/terrapins-insider/wp/2013/03/30/an-advanced-stats-look-at-alex-lens-low-post-game/ For a 7-foot-1 center, Len shoots just 39.3 percent on post-ups (48 for 122), a very low percentage given that 41.2 percent of his possessions fall into that category. (Side note: All this data comes courtesy of Synergy Sports, the excellent video scouting/logging service used by plenty of college and professional teams, including Maryland.) I’ll take Synergy Information over Draftexpress. This isn’t about “false equivalence”…this is about hard facts. So for all that you claim he is “190x more offensively skilled” the data just isn’t there. I would say that you are far more prone to hyperbole than I… Read more »
Len is 190x more offensively skilled than Noel. And he shot like 68% at the rim. Hardly an inefficient number. Listen, the red flags around Noel are more than the injury HISTORY. They include maturity issues and an entourage that appears out-of-control to people who follow the NBA. Considering the way the Cavs value character, you would be foolish to discount those red flags when evaluating Noel. Len is a better Jonas. We keep TT and get the better Jonas. Sounds like a win to me… And btw, Draftexpress is considered WIDELY to be the absolutely best draft site there… Read more »
Hot Sauce – the main reason why I don’t fear Noel’s impact is because there was no further trouble from the growth plate injury that happened while he was still developing. ACL injuries are almost never repeatable…so it really does come down to whether or not a growth plate injury or a stress fracture in an ankle is more worriesome. Due to the time line of Noel’s first injury, I fear Len’s stress fracture (an injury that is much more likely to repeat) is going to be more problematic. As for Len’s production vs Noel’s production. We need a rim… Read more »
Not much need for the team with the #1 pick to try to keep it a ‘secret’ – it’s not like any other team can interfere with thier decision. That being said, I still don’t think the Cavs would disclose that Len (or anyone else) is the likely pick. With still the possibility of trading out of the pick etc, just no reason to disclose our intentions.
Ben F – Agree on Len’s injury. But Noel’s injury scares me more, given that it is the second one on the same knee. But both are problematic. 6 and half of one, half a baker’s dozen of the other. My view is that Chris Grant knows way way way more about any of these guys than we do. All I care about is that he does not make a pick that is a complete reach. I don’t think Len is a reach. It wouldn’t be insane to take him over Noel. Given that, I won’t complain if it happens.… Read more »
Kj – I don’t feel better about Len at all. His stress fracture surgery scares me way more than an ACL injury does (that hasn’t changed.) He was highly inefficient on offense. His defense was good but not spectacular at the NCAA level. There’s a lot to not like about him as the #1 guy.
And while you can show Draftexpress rating him as the #1 guy…you can just as easily find other sites that will rate others as the #1 guy instead.
Oh and go look at Draftexpress’ top 100 list. Len number one. Not the mock draft. Just the top 100 prospects. Feel better yet?
Len is gonna be the pick, I think. Draftexpress finally put up their scouting report of him about a week ago and man, it got me feeling like Len has a higher upside than Noel. Now with the entourage red flags popping up along with the red flag of the knee injuries, I see Len as BPA…
He is better version of Jonas…
I hope that secretly Grant has known for weeks who they are taking and he is ecstatic about it. Like he just knows that player X will be huge in the NBA.
Solid podcast…the golf analysis maybe not so much.
Both Dion and TT were closely kept secrets before the draft, I don’t see the Cavs leaking something as big as Len being their top guy this early.
i have always felt Len was a better long-run prospect than Noel due to his bigger frame, his offensive skills, etc. i think his game is impressive, and i like how much he improved between his freshman and sophomore year. i know i am in the minority, but it would not surprise me at all if Grant and crew see Len as the better prospect. i would generally be happy with either. and think both make more sense than mclemore.
@ Nate Smith
Perhaps Grant is hell-bent on getting the most injury-risky big men possible?
Scary news. Seen Alex Len as the probable Cavs #1 in a couple different spots.
Cleveland trades:
#1 overall pick
San Antonio trades:
Danny Green
Not.
Go Spurs.
Guess that comment was too short.
Go San Antonio?