Culty Catch Up: Finding The Cavs
2015-01-18
The elbow area of the floor has been so empty and cold lately.
Each week there is a ton of NBA media pertaining to the Cavs and the league in general that deserves recognition. A lot of it goes unread because there just isn’t enough time to keep up with it. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with six to eight notable reads/videos (the last two reads are up in the air just like the Cavs bench production this season) from the past seven days to get you through the weekend feeling entertained, caught up, and much smarter. I’ll throw in Earl’s Pearl of the Week and some other features to add to the entertainment.
Throughout life people are constantly trying to find themselves. It’s a day-to-day process and encompasses all sorts of choices. For example, a few days ago I was sporting a homeless man sized beard and was having a facial hair crisis. I felt fierce when I looked in the mirror and was able to realistically contemplate putting beads of some form near my face. My beard was full of possibilities; however, I also realized that it’s not right to let people stare at me and wonder if I’m homeless
So I went to the barber shop. After twenty minutes, I walked out with a smooth face. I felt jolly. And, since the Cavs won that night and the next night against the Clippers, I have decided that that’s a sign I made the right choice. I found myself that day at the shop, even if it was just a tiny bit. That discovery may change though (maybe when the Cavs lose again or I stare at this photo too long) and that’s okay. Everything is constantly changing. Hopefully, the King understands that.
LeBron James is approaching old age as far as basketball goes, and sometimes people have affairs when they get older to inject some spice back into their life. LeBron is doing just that this season. He’s cheating on the post. He’s having a romp with dribbling the ball, and unfortunately for fans, this affair is going down in front of them, instead of in a seedy hotel room.
Last season with the Heat, the King would do work 3.7 times a game from the elbow area, and this year he is doing that just 1.9 times a game. Furthermore, he touched the ball 77.7 times a game last season and now touches it 85.6 times a game on a team with more dominant ball handlers than Miami ever had. It makes no sense, but what can you expect from a man having dirty rendezvous. I imagine most men who have affairs during their mid-life crisis regret it and go back to their wives. I have to think this because I want the LeBron of Miami who loved the elbow area to return.
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That elbow area really needs some love. Not only has LeBron walked way from it, Kevin Love has too. It was Kevin’s soul mate less than 12 months ago. Kevin Pelton and Amin Elhassan point this fact out in an article for ESPN Insider.
Looking beyond the shooting stats, the coach’s observation rings true. The biggest change in Love’s usage is that he is rarely playing at the elbow. Last season, Love’s 11.6 touches per game at the elbow ranked second in the league, per SportVU. This season, Love is averaging just 3.3 elbow touches per game, putting him 65th — right behind new teammate Timofey Mozgov.
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David Blatt is a man who needs to figure out some stuff going on in his life. Is he a fire breathing offensive genius or simply an expensive doormat for LeBron to stomp around on? Wayne Embry has the answer over at I Go Hard Now.
David Blatt needs to become himself, that insufferable [dude] that was screaming at players during timeouts and sending them into the locker room back in Tel Aviv (that’s in not America, by the way). The [man] that pulls players right off the court, no matter who they are, and sticks their [butts] on the bench with the meanest superglue in existence, no matter what the score. If they won’t run his system, HE’LL PULL THAT TONGUE OUT OF THEY MOUTH AND STAAAAAAAAB IT WITH A RUSTY SCREWDRIVER.
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And, Wanye’s comrade at I Go Hard Now named Spacefunmars (I couldn’t figure out his real name. It appears that he runs the site called spacefunmars.com and tells stories from the point of view of his pets, which in my eyes is the sign of a genius.) thinks Blatt is just done.
The Cavs can’t fire Blatt tomorrow because LeBron pushed him today. That would look bad, to say the least. Or they’ll just do it anyway because nothing the Cavs do surprises me. I doubt they do it if the Cavs win big against the Lakers on Thursday, either. It’s something that’s lurking behind the next big loss, assuming that loss doesn’t follow an extended period of great basketball.
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Patrick Redford did a short piece for Vice Sports about LeBron’s GM skills. Let’s just say he has more in common with Billy King than R.C. Buford. Obviously, this isn’t making LeBron happy and explains a lot about this season.
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Ethan Strauss recently put a piece up for ESPN detailing the ways in which Draymond Green may be a max player.
Unlike some other defensive specialists, Green plays enough offense to remain on the floor. His ability to capably hit open 3-pointers means he can play more minutes than Tony Allen or Andre Roberson. He also rebounds, passes, pushes the ball in transition and throws Kevin Love-style outlet passes. About the only thing Green can’t do on a basketball court is create his own shot.
If Love is getting a max contract someday soon doesn’t Green deserve one by default? Out of the five skills listed there, Kevin does just one of them (rebound), and it isn’t even the one with his namesake.
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The sixth man piece is one that was written about an often troubled sixth man. Jan Hubbard wrote about the recently deceased Roy Tarpley at Sheridan Hoops. This is my favorite Tarpley quote from it:
“I love Tabasco sauce. When I was a kid, I used to drink it right out of a bottle. I’m serious. But when I went to the bathroom, I’d be hurtin’.”
Tarpley’s legacy is more than that, but that is a quote I will be holding on to for the rest of my life.
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I know you’re sick of reading, so watch former Cav Mo Williams goes crazy with jump shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHnhw1Z9R98
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Finally, look at LeBron James exercising some conservation of energy by not jumping to constest a three from the Lakers’ Wes Johnson. That is how you save your legs to take ill-advised three pointers.
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Earl’s Pearl of the Week
J.R. Smith seems to enjoy perseverance. He will always shoot even if he isn’t making it, so I imagine he enjoyed Kevin Garnett’s spat with Dwight Howard this week. After the two big guys got tangled up, KG refused to let the situation rest. He head butted Dwight and then after being restrained for a little bit tried to run back at Howard for round two. See the footage here. KG even has a sort of walk it off moment where it seems like he is thinking to himself, “this is an everyday thing.” That’s exactly how J.R. thinks about his shots. A miss or a make is an everyday thing for him.
Bottom Lines of the Week
While Mo Williams’ line of 52 points on 19-33 shooting against the Pacers during a loss is impressive, he didn’t really do much else stat wise aside from getting seven assists. Mo’s line might be the best some weeks, but not when Russell Westbrook puts up a triple double that is almost all numbers around twenty against the title contending Warriors. Russ had 17 points, 17 assists, and 15 rebounds.
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Random questions jumping around in my head:
Would Kevin Love be better if he was the Cavs’ sixth man?
I actually think this would allow Love to get the touches he requires and allow David Blatt to the run the offense, at least on the second unit. If you read the piece above about Love’s problems on the Cavs, it’s painfully obvious that he needs plays to set him up for success. Love and Blatt need each other right now more than ever. That leads to my second question:
Is Kevin Love worth a max contract?
Love will most likely get a max contract; however, I don’t know if he deserves it. Defensively, he is a sieve, and offensively, he may be dependent on others to get him going. This question came up because I have convinced myself that Draymond Green would be a better fit for the Cavs than Love right now.
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The quote of the week goes to Russell Westbrook. It’s from right after he had his triple double against the warriors. During the post-game press conference, a reporter asked him if he was upset. Westbrook’s answer was very short.
“I just don’t like you.”
The problem with Draymond Green is that the Cavs are over the cap. When you’re over the cap, you can’t sign-and-trade guys. Therefore, it’s very difficult to bring in guys from other teams. Now, the Haywood deal will be nice to allow the Cavs to do that, a bit, but it’s still not a panacea. Furthermore, the Cavs have to rely on other teams to do a sign-and-trade with them if they want a restricted free agent.
Panacea… nice!
Put that in your Funk and Wagnalls!
I’m a big fan of Chicago’s Jimmy Butler. I think I like him more than Derrick Rose. If I was putting an NBA team together from scratch (not being allowed to only take Lebrons, Durants, Westbrooks), Jimmy Butler would probably be in my top five.
Draymond Green as a max player is laughable. He’s a fine piece, but even TT is more productive than he is.
The idea of Green / Lee for Love makes me vomitous.
Thanks DW for the recap of these stories. Always good to catch up on good reads from the week. Loved the Westbrook interview clip!
Any C:tB-ers going to be at the Cavs/Bulls MLK Day game tomorrow? Keep the win streak alive!
I stumbled upon a Denver blog tonight and found this statement about Mozgov: “Beyond his skills on the court, Mozgov was a gregarious and outgoing guy. Active in the community and popular amongst his teammates, Timofey seemed to be well-thought of by everyone around him. The well-wishes of his former Nuggets teammates, seemingly to a man, show the deep affection the team felt for him.” Fans say he goes 100% – like Varejao. With the emergence of 1st round pick Jusuf Nurkic, it seemed opportunistic for the Nuggets to get two 1st rounders for Mozgov. Before being traded Mozgov started… Read more »
thanks for sharing, I hope he is a Cav for many years he is quicky becoming one of my favorites, in the same way Andy is.
Nice pull, U-dog. Always good to hear superlative things about guys off the court as well.
By the way, is this Underdog going by a contracted form in U-dog? Or are you a different commenter altogether? No big deal, just for clarification’s sake.
It’s the same one.
Lebron is so good, he can score at will, and play good defense when he wants to. My issue is that we have professional athletes that don’t go full bore at all times. They coast. If they were all comitted to winning, we would be untouchable.
I agree Don and sometimes I wonder if Lebron is just coasting until so called big games or playoffs which is a huge gamble because he might be able to turn it on because of how good he is but the team might not. Let’s hope the second half of the finds this team more dialed in consistently. I got fired up watching the YouTube vid of Iman defesense highlights Arch posted yesterday and hope he can get energy moving on that side of the game.
1. That might be true, hard to say. But remember how LeBron’s first tour in Cleveland ended; He played “chill mode” and acted bored as the Cavs got eliminated. Remember the end of the game: Andy was grabbing the ball from him and trying to start some offence.
2. No one can go full bore 100% of the time. That is why depth is so important.
I read all the comments and no one is callilng lbj names. for pete’s sake he is the best player in the league when he wants to be. the numbers for kyrie and kevin are fine but they are not making their teammates better or the team better with those numbers if they don’t play defense. kyrie as a facilitator should be concentrating on assists not points. this team does not know how to share the ball or share the glory. look at Atlanta. that is a team. a real team. they play together, keep their mouths shut and put… Read more »
You mean, aside from you lumping him in with the rest of the Cavs and calling them a “bunch of children?” or saying he should be benched and that he’s not even in the top 10 players this year? Your initial post and this post seem to contradict each other. As if they were written by different people…
In order to have an assist, someone else has to score a basket. Kyrie’s assist numbers would be a lot better if someone could hit an open 3 pointer or if TT/Timofey wouldn’t get stuffed at the rim 50% of the time. Kyrie is also no the starting PG on a lot of possessions; that’s Lebron’s job and he loves to play iso ball or drive and kick to shooters, Kyrie being one of them
Blatt may have stumbled on an excellent substitution pattern in the last couple of games that helps the Cavs address several weaknesses at once. He has been substituting Lebron for 2-3 minute stretches in the middle of each quarter rather than for one 4-5 minute stretch in each half. This pattern has the following benefits: 1) allows K. Love, along with Kyrie to be more a focal point of the offense with the other starters during those stretches when Lebron is out, 2) it may reduce the tendency of Lebron to pace himself since he knows he is only playing… Read more »
Good observation Jim. I was thinking the same thing as I watched the game Friday night. It’s probably the best version of rotating LBJ in and out of the lineup.
Actually thought the rotations were really solid Friday and Saturday.
would love’s ego allow him to be a 6th man even if he is guaranteed more touches—-just start him / yank him early and put him back in when either LeBron / kyrie ( or both ) are sitting—–I know I am going to ge t a lot of grief for printing this —last night WIGGINS 31 PTS—-9 REBOUNDS — I realize I shouldn’t go there BUT WHAT IF LEBRON WASN’T SO DEMANDING ON GETTING LOVE THRU TRADES/ WE HAD KEPT WIGGINS AND POSSIBLY PICKED UP LOVE THIS SUMMER THRU FREE AGENCY—JUST A THOUGHT
That would of been great but none of us truly know what was going on behind the doors. I’m in for embracing this team for what it is and what we can do moving forward.
I do like the idea of love playing more with bench players, I am not good at numbers but hasn’t Blatt been doing that a little already, also Delly has struggled with getting the ball down low but smith sure tried and it appeared he knew what was up.
It’s not just ego. When you are at that level of course you want to start. It makes sense to want to start. Kevin love is not staing here as the 6th man.
He’s fine.
I don’t know how often we need to repeat this: It is not who starts, it is who finishes. There are players in the HOF who usually came off the bench.
Roy Tarpley was a cocaine killed his career all-star. I first got heavily into basketball during the 92-93 season and Richard Dumas would have been a legit superstar if it wasn’t for blow. Those Barkley Suns teams probably would have won those two Rockets titles if Dumas wasn’t suspended.
Agree. Dumas was a pretty special talent. Drugs killed more than a couple great careers in the 80’s and 90’s NBA.
Interestingly, Andrew Wiggins’ Dad, Mitchell, basically dropped out of the league because of drug problems. He was a pretty solid player, too.
CtB really has to pick it up. This is no longer a cellar dwelling team waiting on the next draft lottery savior. I’m sick of coming here and seeing LeBron routinely bashed even though he scores 30+ in two straight games leading us to wins. I’m sick of seeing Kyrie bashing and Love bashing even though Kyrie both have PERs of over 19. Can this team be better? Yep. They can and definitely need to. But this team isn’t missing the playoffs or any such nonsense. All those calling LeBron a brat and spoiled don’t have any idea how awful… Read more »
LeBron is still the best player in the league-when he wants to be. The rest certainly did him some good. My only issue with LeBron this season is that he hasn’t backed up his own words and been more of a leader. He’s gotten EVERYTHING that he wanted and he’s pouting. I’m not too worried about the state of the team. They are about to go on a tear then the media monster will embrace them again. I could care less about teams that peak during the first half of the season. Vegas still has Cleveland as 3/2 favorites to… Read more »
I agree. It’s a pretty negative group of writers and commenters. This team can clearly be a very, very good team but people seem to have already given up on them. It’s baffling.
Cols, I agree to an extent. LeBron shouldn’t be called names and things like that, but I don’t think it’s unfair for Cavs fans to be frustrated with him so far this season. For years people were calling for him to play in the low post in Cleveland. He refused. Then he went to Miami and did it and was the most dominant player that – arguably – anyone has ever seen. He went to 4 straight Finals and won 2. He also put 100% effort into defense every season he was there – again something he never did in… Read more »
LeBron isn’t above criticism. And the areas where he’s still falling short–defensive effort and offensive execution–affect how everybody else on the team plays.
Yes, the rest helped. He’s been more energetic and athletic since he came back. But his effort on defense has only gone from horrendous to subpar. And on offense, the frequency of his shot-clock-killing iso ball that leads to forced shots or turnovers is absurd. We’re now halfway through the season, and he has to get a lot better on both fronts before the Cavaliers can think about doing anything in the playoffs.
Cols, just wait until the playoffs when either one of (or both of) Kyrie or Love become overwhelmed by the intensity and pressure, being their first exposure. The writers and commenters will be demanding blood.
Cols, this is an overreaction to generalize this board as negative. The two most negative comments came from “geri wood” and “monster aaron” First I think I can remember seeing either of those two particular handles. Maybe they’re AKA’s for regular commenters, but overall, I think given where the team has been at this year so far, the writers of this blog and the majority of the regular commenters are not overly negative.
Was I being negative? Sorry Evil, I just like Bledsoe’s defense and his energy, seems like why the Cavs eventually went after Shump. I wasn’t really being negative about Lebron, I just want him on the block. Don’t know if Love will ever fit but I will admit that I was pro-Love when the trade talks were going on, can’t win ’em all, but I suppose it helped getting Lebron back, so there’s that.
This is the part I felt was negative… “I think even with his experience in Miami Lebron is acting like an entitled brat.”
I don’t think this is true.
Okay, maybe “brat” is a bit strong. I just think something about the environment makes him seem more entitled than he was in Miami. I know having fun is a big part of what makes him go and he’s conserving his energy(mostly on D) but the interactions with Blatt is not a good look. Maybe it’s Blatt’s issue not being strong enough of a personality.
I’m not sure that it’s entitlement that’s dictating his demeanor. I think, and this is just a guess on my part, that he’s dealing with a number of things that are contributing factors. He made a big deal about coming home, and even though he said it wouldn’t be easy, it’s been a lot harder than I think he thought it would be. He just turned 30 and has been on record about how he feels the season is too long (too many games) and that he doesn’t want to play 40 minutes a night anymore if he doesn’t have… Read more »
Thanks David! Great selections. I still tend to think the idea that Blatt is anywhere near being fired is ludicrous. He’s being out coached this year but as with players, he will pick up the speed of the game and the nuanced differences from European ball and come back much stronger next year. Unless we miss the playoffs, he isn’t on the hot seat. Also, what is with the get rid of Kyrie crap popping up again in the comments here? that’s bull butter. Bledsoe is a good of but he isn’t on Kyrie’s level or really that close to… Read more »
Soft spot in my heart for Mo. Loved every shot in that highlight reel.
I agree, I often wonder and visualize just a few key shots of his falling during the Magic series. Oh well. Thanks David for the entertaining read and videos.
I think even with his experience in Miami Lebron is acting like an entitled brat. It probably had to do with a return to a dysfunctional environment that makes him backslide into old ways. It’s a shame that he can’t tell the difference between a fun way(for him) to play and a winning/ effective way to play. Lebron, when he chooses to be, is arguably the best power forward in the game. Move LBJ to the 4 and bring Love off the bench. I wish the Cavs had traded Kyrie for Bledsoe in the summer when Bled was having all… Read more »
Our blatant misuse of Kevin Love comes down to either David Blatt or LeBron James. Either Blatt refuses to use Kevin Love in the most efficient manner possible, or he’s being silenced by LeBron James, who, for whatever reason, feels this team is better with Kevin Love being a glorified 3 point specialist.
The Cavs aren’t running Blatt’s sets. When they do, their offense looks fluid and creates shots. When they don’t, LeBron just holds the ball before putting up a contested 3, or Kyrie dribbles into a crowd. If you look at the youtube videos of Blatts offensive sets, they look good. Now, tey don’t focus much attention on the post, but they do spread the ball around a lot. Either way, the cavs who referred to this offense as “genius” in October have resorted back to ISO ball that simply won’t win in the NBA anymore. Finally, the one caveat is… Read more »
Blatt’s sets could be the best ever run, but even Pop and Phil J would have trouble preventing LBJ from going ISO from time to time. He may be one of the best ever at seeing the floor and making the right pass, but he knows how good he is and he’s always going to have certain possessions where he knows he can/just wants to beat his man off the dribble for either a drive or pull up jumper. That’s the thing that’s easy to forget. He’s ALREADY an all-timer. When it’s all said and done, he may at least… Read more »
Who are the only 19 year olds in NBA history to score 30+ pts, 9+ rebs with at least 4 ast, 3 blks in a game?
the cavaliers are acting like a bunch of children. no way should LeBron be running the team. kyrie irving is a ball hog and defense is not in their vocabulary. not only cant kevin love play defense but he becomes liability on the court. I vote to trade kyrie irving for anyone that can play defense and play point guard. sit LeBron if he can not follow the game plan or at least read it. try to teach kevin love to play defense. personally I think it is hopeless but try. and if the cavs wish to contend then the… Read more »
Sorry but that is just crazy talk, look at Irvings numbers and especially against the other great pg in the league. Curry had more assists but Irving had more rebounds and dominated over Paul. I sure hope players don’t ever read this crap, some sound like children.
Are you actually comparing Irving to Chris Paul or Curry? Don’t. You just look foolish. Curry, Paul, Westbrook, Wall, Lillard, and even Lowry are on entirely different tiers than Irving. Irving caught fire against LA and shot out of his mind. He doesn’t shoot like that very often. Never make the argument that a player is better than another based off one game. That is a ridiculous argument. The common theme with the guys I listed is that they all make their teammates better than they are. Irving is a decent scorer but he has never and probably will never… Read more »
Also I guess I should throw props to Conley and Teague, though I haven’t watched either of those two enough to compare them to Irving. I think even with their team success I would take Irving over those two at this point.
Not comparing in the sense who is better just that why the hell would people say we should trade him, I think that is foolish! He does not fit the mold many want him to be but he has improved his game and I think a lot of other teams would be more grateful to have him. But hey let’s just keep talking about trading him because that sounds productive. There are lots of great pg in the league like your list suggestd and I feel Irving is one of them and if you don’t like his style then cheer… Read more »
If this is how you feel after back-to-back road wins (including one over one of the better teams in the WC), I’d hate to see you chime in after a loss. How about some constructive comments instead of just “Cavs are acting like a bunch of children” “trade Kyrie” “sit LeBron” “hopeless to teach Love how to play defense” “get LeBron under control.”
I mean SERIOUSLY Geri. Maybe if you think it’s that bad, you should consider switching your rooting interests to another team…