On the Izzo no-go and more
2010-06-17Alright, so it isn’t Tom Izzo. Fine by me. Izzo is a good college coach, but the odds against college coaches succeeding in the pros are very, very high. The stakes are going to be pretty high around here if LeBron comes back, and you want a guy with real NBA coaching experience at the helm.
Assuming a Coach K/Phil Jackson miracle doesn’t happen, I would begrudgingly endorse Byron Scott as the next head coach of the Cavaliers. I’m trying to sell myself on the fact the Hornets were the #2 team in offensive efficiency during the 07-08 season, but it’s not easy.
First off, Scott’s teams never played all that fast, despite the fact they had Chris Paul. Seeing as to how the one strategy change most people want is more of LeBron in the open floor, this does not thrill me. Also, the Hornet offense was pretty much “give Chris Paul a pick and let him dribble where he wants.” It worked because Paul’s a beast, but come on. The #1 problem people had with Mike Brown was his tendency to do the exact same thing with LeBron.
Finally, since Mike Brown did pretty much everything but win a championship as the head coach of the Cavs, I’d like for his replacement to have actually won a championship. Brown for Scott smacks of making a change to make a change.
And yet I’m having trouble seeing good alternatives. I think Dwyane Casey would be a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, hire for an up-and-coming team, but he’s unproven and likely wouldn’t have LeBron’s trust. The Cleveland job is too much for him at this point of his career. (If the Cavs do lose LeBron, somehow snagging Casey away from the Clippers would be one of the few things that could soften that blow.)
Thibodeau is gone. So is Avery Johnson. Jeff Van Gundy isn’t leaving ESPN. By the way, I call shenanigans on Jeff Van Gundy as a potential Cleveland home run. In the last decade, Jeff Van Gundy has coached slow-paced, grind-it-out, offensively stagnant teams that failed to win championships. He has also been surprisingly funny on television. Which one of those two things make him sound like an improvement on Mike Brown? THIS MAN GAVE PATRICK EWING 15 SHOTS A GAME THE YEAR HE SHOT 43.5% FROM THE FLOOR. 46.6% SHOOTING GOT EWING 19 SHOTS A GAME. BANTERING CHARMINGLY WITH MARC JACKSON AND PREDICTING FREE THROW REBOUNDS DOES NOT WASH THOSE SINS OF OFFENSE AWAY. I am going to go here: in today’s NBA, Stan is light years ahead of his brother in NBA coaching theory.
So LeBron wouldn’t tell Izzo he was staying. Here’s my theory: Both the Cavs and the Bulls have told LeBron’s camp that they’re going to try and swing a crazy sign-and-trade for Chris Bosh. It would be tricky for the Cavs, and the Bulls might get a bite on the Deng contract. (Don’t think they will let go of Noah. No way Thibodeau lets go of a defender like that.) LeBron has to wait and see if one of those scenarios, or something like one of them getting Ray Allen for the MLE, works out. As much as LeBron loves Cleveland, there’s no way he could pass up on being part of a Rose/Somebody/James/Bosh/Noah team. (Imagine if they somehow got Allen to play two-guard. Whoa.)
Likewise, he definitely stays if Cleveland can snag Bosh. This is a big decision, and last year’s roster plus a college coach was not going to be enough to make it for him. I hate that this is how it is, but I do have to put myself in LeBron’s shoes a little bit on this one. It’s his legacy at stake here. The Cavs are going to have to change the package and not just the wrapping paper to get LeBron back, or hope that nobody else with cap space makes a big move. That’s the bottom line.
Alright, that’s enough for tonight. Get excited for game seven and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Exactly Ace. Some organizations just know how to win championships. Over the last 30 years, only a hand full of teams have won multiple championships. Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, Spurs, Pistons, Rockets and that’s where the buck stops. Some organizations just don’t have the knack for championship success, teams like the Clippers, Mavs, Suns, Orlando, and now the Cavs. Those are organizations that have had chances with either elite talent, top draft picks, or just can’t get it done. The Cavs is in turmoil. No Gm, No coach, no draft pics, ridiculously over the cap, and not one player besides Lebron… Read more »
Amen to that Jay, amen to that.
And I agree 100% that the Bulls are BY FAR the best option for LeBron. Rose will be arguably the best or second best point guard for a decade, an All-NBA talent. Noah will be a near All-Star and a top defensive center for a decade. Taj Gibson, Loul Deng, Kirk Hinrich, 17th pick, are all solid pieces / tradeable assets. Tom Thibodeau just SHUT KOBE DOWN for the NBA finals. With or without any other trades, the Bulls are the ticket to multiple championships for LeBron.
There is no legacy to be had by staying with one team and not winning Championships. Look at Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, and Reggie Miller. The first thing come to mind is “great players, but not a champion”. Not the fact that they was loyal. The Loyalty argument is just something most fans are coming up with to justify lebron staying with the Cavs. If Lebron wants to win multiple championships, there is no reason to stay with the Cavs because the front office has clearly failed. Yeah they made trades, but it wasn’t the right trades. The Cavs was… Read more »
@chris: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! That pic…oh man…
forgot to add kobe’s 4 assist average.
i know these shooting stats aren’t as meaningful as eFG% (too lazy to figure it out right now) but here’s kobe’s stats compared to gasol for the finals(rounded to whole number):
kobe: 29 pts on 34% shooting, 8 reb, 2 stl, 1blk
gasol: 19 pts on 72% shooting, 12 reb, 4 ast,1 stl, 2 blk
just for reference. trevor ariza shot 39% on the season.
if i was gasol i’d be pissed now! i just gave up a finals MVP trophy to someone who played worse than trevor freakin ariza!
@tom
@chris
@rich
+fucking 1…
finals MVP fail. kobe shot 34.4% for the series. i leave you w/this:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/slideshow/ALeqM5geCJBrk-VGlreurfBOaFMtxOIdeQD9GDF2SG5?index=0
Oh, and what a joke the NBA is. Giving out Finals MVPs simply because of name recognition. There is no way Gasol shouldn’t be the MVP. What a complete joke. In their moment of need, Kobe shrank. Gasol was more consistent the entire way through, and his rebounding is what won this series. Lol at the NBA just trying to build up the Kobe legend at someone else’s expense. I’d be happy tonight if I was Gasol, but later on in my career I’d become resentful about this. Finals MVP is a big freaking deal, and he got screwed out… Read more »
If the sixers are serious about getting rid of Brands contract there is only two ways to do it, either give up Iggy or give up that 2nd overall pick. If not, then they get to hang on to that contract, cause no1 is taking it off their hands for anything else.
It was pretty clear Jerry West decided he loved the Lakers mor ethan the team that was employing him. He gave away Gasol. Oh well, that’s how it happens.
Oh,and I can’t wait till Kevin McHale gets that Celtics job. I’f im the T’Wolves owner I’m looking back at that KG trade and starting to wonder what exactly happened there.
And on coaches, yeah, none of the options sound good right now. Can’t it wait until after the potential LeBron re-signing? After that the Cavs should be able to get any coach they want, right? And doesn’t LeBron know that?
Hard to imagine a more crushing basketball year. Duke title. Cavs playoff collapse. Laker repeat. I hate basketball so much right now. Sign and trade for Chris Bosh would be nice, didn’t know that was possible. A trade for Iguodala seems more attainable. I have some hope for that, but it probably wouldn’t happen because it makes too much sense (like my Pau Gasol to Miami proposal in ’08 — Memphis could have gotten pure cap space and a pick with the best chance at #1, instead of whatever they got from LA, and Miami could have gotten freaking Pau… Read more »
The line from the AP report is so appropriate. “Forget how it looked, history will”
If that line doesn’t sum up Kobe Bryant’s career I don’t know what does.
Gasol was the Lakers best player in that series. They won game 7 IN SPITE of Kobe Bryant.
Kobe tried to make sure he didn’t get number 5.
Man, Kobe wrapped up number 5. How’s that for reputation. Good for that city.
jimmy: him no like facts! facts bad!facts make jimmy head hurt! arrrhhhhh!!
Never, you either hate all writers or love them all. There is no in-between. Either sports writers can be right about everything or wrong about everything, DONT YOU KNOW BEN?!?!? Anyway, I never said they were right or wrong about painting LeBron as some sort of traitor/villain and ruining his legacy if he leaves, I just said they are doing it, and the people with the pen are the ones who get to write history how they see fit. In case you haven’t read a history book recently, they can and often are quite incorrect in multiple places. But there… Read more »
Jimmy,
Look to the right of this page. That’s the color gray. It does exist.
I’ll be interested to see how many Akron people go to the LeBron day thing. If that thing is full of people, then he will not be welcomed back in Akron if he leaves. They aren’t there to simply celebrate the man..they are there as a sign they want him to stay in Cleveland.
Well Keith, the problem is we get “our team” back..and a whole crap ton of other people stop caring. So many people, that in fact, the franchsie will yet again become a dump. As a fan of the team, why would I want to see that? LeBron staying helps the franchise more than it hurts it, no matter how much you/I/anyone hates his personality.
yo rich – haven’t you and others like you been whining about all the various articles out there and cutting on the various writers and saying they don’t know what they are writing about, they are contradictory, they say things in the name of sensationalism, etc. So now on this one thing you change your tune and say the writers are the smartest, they know everything about legacy, believe in them cuz they speak truth? no thanks, i’m gonna go with what i’ve witnessed in my sports lifetime and say that as long as lebron wins, in whatever city, his… Read more »
Based on my friends from Akron, Akronites are Cavs fans. Always have been since the days of the Richfield Coliseum, which was right by Akron.
I admit, I am biased now because I have soured on LeBron. The guy is a jerk. I’d rather just him leave and we can have our team back. Thanks for winning 1 EC championship LeBron. It is a great sports memory. Unfortunately, that may be the peak of the Chosen One’s career. He’s gonna be 30 in 4.5 years. Time for the next hype.
Just a reminder: Akron isn’t Cleveland. If he leaves, LBJ may be ‘persona non grata’ in Cleveland but that doesn’t mean he will be in Akron, with all his friends from way back. I grew up in Akron during the Jordan era just like LBJ, and it’s not like everyone was a Cavs fan. Half the kids I knew were fair-weather Jordan / Bulls fans. I would bet at least half the LBJ fans in Akron would switch allegiances to his new team – especially if it’s the Bulls (Midwest) or maybe even Knicks / Nets (Eastern Conference, at least).… Read more »
Omg Jimmy, read a freaking newspaper. We here at cavstheblog are not making this whole legacy thing up out of thin air. Writer after writer has written about how leaving Cleveland could hurt LeBron’s legacy. Stop beating a dead horse man. We get it. You don’t think it matters.
Anyway, Bill Laimbeer would be fantastic.
Hey, I was the first one to suggest Laimbeer! That guy would bust some skulls. Love it!
Bill Laimbeer huh?
Speaking of legacy, Laimbeer has an awful legacy for Cleveland fans. A W F U L. Heck, why not bring Elway in be the Browns QB coach too.
If this is one guy you are endorsing, Lebrons legacy in the sports world will not be tarnished one bit should he leave Cleveland. And should he win a championship out there, no one will be talking about his legacy that a few of you hold him accountable to.
Just a throw out name to consider for a coach: Bill Laimbeer.
I almost don’t care anymore. ALMOST. I would have cared had he looked like he cared against Boston. But since it was sleepy time in the playoffs (minus game 3) it makes it hard for me to be vested. It had been so easy to like LeBron because he tried and he was really, really good. And if he put forth his normal effort through these playoffs, lost and then left Cleveland for a chance to win championships, well, godspeed. But, didn’t it seem like he quit? Right? I know I’m not the only one that thought this. We’ve seen… Read more »
I’ll admit a little disappointment in not getting Izzo. I understand the whole college coach and nba success or lack thereof….but I figured with a better situation there could be success for Izzo. Now that Byron Scott may be the next best option or only other option, its feels like Mike Brown all over again. This guy was fired twice after huge successes due to decreasing player morale and trust of their coach. Didnt that just happen with MB? Wasnt that one of the many reasons why he was fired? I mean yes there probably weren that many options out… Read more »
Oh, and who cares if it is fan/media invented? We are the ones who write the story lines for these players in the end. How we view them is all that really matters. It’s all subjective in sports.
Well Kevin you aren’t a public figure, so you wouldn’t care. If LeBron gets run out of Akron everytime he tries to go back, don’t fool yourself into thinking that won’t hurt him. Jimmy cherry picking people who stayed and didn’t win titles. Jordan, Duncan, Jerome Bettis, etc. There are plenty of people who were icons for a team they had played for a long time and it meant a lot when they finally won a title there. I’m not playing the loyalty card. That shouldn’t be a factor as to why LeBron stays. But don’t for two seconds think… Read more »
@Kevin
Baseball sucks and is the worst sport to watch.
And you can move, but not away from yourself. Not sure about you, but I don’t hate where I grew up, don’t want to live there, but certainly don’t hate it. I’m sure the Congo is a much worse place to live.
@Jimmy
Kosar is the only one you mentioned who stayed with his hometown team. Otherwise you just did apples to oranges. At least you tried though…
Good for Dan Marino’s Miami legacy! Too bad Kevin Garnett tarnished his legacy with Minnesota! Good for Ryan Sandberg! Too bad for Wade Boggs! Good for Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing! Too bad for Shaq in Orlando, Phoenix and Clevaland but good for him elsewhere! Good for Andre Thornton – I see Cleveland fans praising him daily to this day! Good for Mike Hargrove! What a lovable loser!! Good for Mark Price, Daugherty, Ehlo, Nance, Hot Rod and the rest! Wonder if Phoenix absolutely despises Nance for leaving his legac with them tarnished. Good for Bernie Kosar and Earnest Byner for… Read more »
Who cares about how they are viewed in their home town? Isn’t hating where you grew up part of the American past time? It’s as American as baseball! I know I sure as hell hate where I grew up in NE Ohio. The people were just awful, from the kids to the adults, and I hope I never have to go back ever again. Unless you’re going to run for political office, staying close to home is as good as meaningless. Besides, if we confine LeBron to the shackles of staying put, then the same applies for everyone.
I’ve heard for over a year now that the Cavs are trying to trade or should trade for Bosh. The question is; who would the Raptors want in a trade? We can assume Hickson would be gone as he is the only young talent on the team. Raptors wouldn’t be interested in a 1st rounder, because, assuming Lebron stays and if Cavs had Bosh, this team’s first round pick would be in the late 20’s. Maybe West so they can clear his cap space off the books prior to August. After that I look at the roster and wonder who… Read more »
LeBron’s legacy will be tarnished if he leaves Cleveland. Even if he wins 7 titles, he will be persona non grata in his hometown. That’s the bottom line. I never blamed Boozer or Thome for leaving Cleveland. They both almost doubled their salaries with the Jazz and Phillies. Manny Ramirez hurt because he went to Boston for the same money. If LeBron leaves for LESS money, he is what he is….an egomaniac who doesn’t care about his teammates, or fans, or his hometown. You can say he could be loyal to a fault, but if he stays…at least he tried.… Read more »