Links to the Present: Accepting Blame Edition

2014-04-15 Off By David Wood

Cleveland Cavaliers v Brooklyn Nets

The Cavs season comes to a much needed end tomorrow against the Brooklyn Nets;  the team has looked sluggish the past two games against the Bucks and Celtics.  The amount of effort exhibited by Kyrie Irving and the team as a whole has me wondering about the future.  Maybe, the Cavs are still another season away from the playoffs if effort has anything to do with results.

Kyrie Irving has been very truthful about his effort.  Bob Finnan of The News-Herald & The Morning Journal has some of Irving’s quote on the topic.

“It’s disappointing based on our effort,” Irving said. “Our fans definitely don’t deserve it, especially at the end of the season. We preached it and said we wanted to finish strong, but teams are just getting the best of us. Just our effort level wasn’t there. It’s disappointing, and we have to be disappointed in ourselves. The last two games, the fans don’t deserve it.”

The type of effort being displayed scares me, especially when it is from the Cavs’ supposed star.  However, it’s refreshing to see him own up to and address the topic.

Luol Deng continues being a wonderful figure in the community.  Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer reports that he has won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.  Deng is involved in quite a few community projects.

In the U.S., Deng’s work has been focused primarily on the communities in which he has played, Chicago and Cleveland.  He has funded Thanksgiving and holiday events that provide meals and toys to the underserved and has also served as a mentor to the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” He is also an avid supporter of the NBA’s Basketball without Borders program and has participated in PSA’s to raise awareness for World Malaria Day.

It’s sad that Cavs fans have probably seen the last game from Deng in a Cavs uniform.

Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer reported that the Cavs will try to resign Spencer Hawes.  He’s supposedly a favorite of David Griffin.

Griffin values big men who can pass and shoot. The Cavs have been asking Hawes to shoot even more.

Since being obtained in a deal with Philadelphia for a pair of second-round picks, Hawes is averaging 14 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting .464. On 3-pointers, he’s at .457. His outside shooting allows the middle to be open, creating room for Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving to drive to the rim.

Bud Shaw of The Plain Dealer has some funny quotes from readers and even himself about the Cavs this week in his “You Said It” post.

An amazing (and pathetic) stat: If the Cavs win their final game, it will be the most wins for a non-LeBron Cavs’ team since 1998! – Tim, Canton

Let’s just say this column makes Byron Scott’s Cavs and the 2013-14 Sixers look like the “Showtime” Lakers and Red Auerbach’s Celtics.

This Cavs season may be disappointing, but masking your true anger in humor is always better than just being angry.

 

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