Links To The Present: They Probably Won’t Make It Edition

Luol Deng once looked amazing with Nate Robinson running the point. What does that say about Kyrie Irving?

The Cavs have been off since Saturday, and to be completely honest, I have to say nothing is going on with them basketball wise.   They are not a good team by their record, 24-40.  When you see them play, they often look worse than that record.  These three days off have been filled with contemplation by writers across the world, and  they’ve determined that the Cavs probably won’t make the playoffs, that Kyrie Irving should leave, and that LeBron James coming back is a possibility.

Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer put out a great article yesterday that details just exactly how we ended up where we are with our team heading to another early season ending.

Waiters and Irving view themselves as the best scorers on the team. They believe no one defender can stop them. They are convinced they can drive to the rim, almost at will. But when they stop and dribble, dribble, dribble … the defense swarms them, their teammates watch and stagnant offense and bad shots are the result. And a sad situation becomes even more depressing….

[Luol Deng] has been bothered by a sore Achilles, which supposedly is getting better.

With the Bulls, he had 12-of-168 shots in the paint blocked.

With the Cavs, it’s 29-of-160.

Terry Pluto cuts  to the point that the team hasn’t added productive players by gaining Luol Deng, Jarrett Jack, and Anthony Bennett.  I can’t disagree with him.  Luol Deng flourished on a team that had Nate Robinson running the point position for large chunks of last season.  It may be the Cavs coaching, or it may be that Kyrie and Dion aren’t facilitating well enough.

If Kyrie Irving is a problem, why doesn’t Cleveland get rid of him?  Allen Levin pushes for that at xnsports.com.

Most of Irving’s numbers have dipped from last season and he is suffering career-lows in crucial categories. In addition to shooting a career-worst 43 percent from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc, Irving has posted his worse Player Efficiency Rating (20.21) and true shooting percentage (53.2) of his young career…

Irving’s disgruntled attitude and complete lack of leadership, coupled with a setback in his overall game should really make Cleveland question if they want to make him the franchise’s cornerstone.

Kevin Hetrick suggested it in his piece this morning.  Since Cleveland probably won’t trade Kyrie Irving in the constant quest to be an 8th seed, there is hope that we keep him and get LeBron James/the number one seed.  Jason Lloyd of The Beacon Journal paints a story that says Chris Grant’s biggest accomplishment with the Cavs has been making a path for LeBron to come back.  In short,  Grant has kept the communication with LeBron open by dealing with Tristan Thompson’s agent, Rich Paul.  Rich Paul is LeBron’s close friend and now agent.  I don’t think LeBron is coming back, but perhaps Chris Grant’s lasting legacy will be loading the team with ineffective players and creating an illusion of LeBron that lets us be disappointed again.