Links To The Present: April 14, 2011
2011-04-14
“Though the Cleveland Cavaliers will play their final 48-minute contest of the 2010-11 season, several players on the Wine and Gold are already discussing offseason plans to practice together even once team facilities have closed for the summer.” [Scott Sargent]
“I’m going to learn from this experience of having a losing season, not being as good as we thought we could be — but you have to deal with the injuries and take that into consideration. But for the most part, I look at it as a learning experience and it drives me for the next year to get better.” [Byron Scott, who is humble]
“I would like to play another month or so. Our young guys are starting to get it and understand what’s going on.” [Byron Scott, who has got to be flipping kidding me]
On The Twitters
“I can’t imagine Harrison Barnes would really come back to school, but maybe the thought of playing for the Timberwolves really is that bad.” [Zac Jackson]
“Still thinking it over, say reports. Decisions, decisions. RT @cfaddict: I thought Harrison Barnes was staying another year?” [Eric Knappenberger]
“Ryan Hollins, a $2.5mm player option for next season, says he wants to be back in Cleveland. #Cavs” [Scott Sargent]
A Format Note
With the regular season over and daily Cavs news slowing down, I’m going to start posting individual news items rather than doing a daily roundup–sort of a “news as it becomes available” format. So if Kyrie Irving works out for the Cavs, I’ll let you know. If there are trade rumors swirling around Antawn Jamison, I gotcha. If some fat guy who looks a lot like Baron Davis is spotted at a chicken wing joint with hot sauce in his beard, I will put my head through a wall, then provide you guys with a link and some commentary.
I’ll be doing Links To The Present through the end of the week, then I will start posting relevant Cavs news as it happens. With the monotony of a dreadful regular season finally concluded, we now have the offseason and all the optimism that comes with it. I’ll do my best to chronicle it for you guys, so we can all talk about how Draft Pick X’s ability to create off the dribble is Jason Kidd-esque and maybe feel a little less dead inside.
Hey, sorry guys. I was just kidding :) B/c of the last line in Colin’s links. I actually do like Kemba a lot, but I hope we don’t draft him primarily for many of the reasons mentioned above—there’s just a finite ceiling on a guy that size. Plus, he’s definitely not a natural facilitator. As with most everyone, I’m praying for Kyrie. And should anyone still be reading this particular thread, here’s a comparison to mull over that I actually AM serious about: Doesn’t Kyrie kind of remind you of Andre Miller? KI’s kind of a smaller, 2.0-style version of… Read more »
Ryan Hollins has a 2.5 million dollar player option!? God. Kahn is the worst.
Kemba walker: best case scenario: Darrell Armstrong. He’s 5’11”. You don’t spend lottery picks on guys that are 5’11”. It is just bad business.
I think Kemba would play a role similar to what Ramon is doing for us right now: be a drive to the basket PG that can provide instant offense off the bench.
I think we will end up drafting a guard and center with the two picks(assuming H Barnes stays at UNC). Irving, Walker, and Knight look like the top possibilities for PG while Kanter and Valanciunas could be the centers.
Not sure, but I can’t help but feel like Ryan Braun was NOT being serious.
Allen Iverson wasnt that tall or even that big…i dont think that dude maxed out over 175 lbs and was he posted up by other guards? im sure but he also had a great offensive game to over come that. Not saying Kemba will do the same but i think the guy will be pretty good…i mean if Earl Boykins who is f’n 5’5 can come in and score 15 pts a game if he wants im pretty sure kemba has the offensive skill set to do the same if not more than that. Jason Kidd is a bad comparison… Read more »
Hi John, maybe you are interested in those thoughts (I don’t have the connections to the ‘statsmaniacs’): In last shot situations, can there be found evidence for a different mindset for different situations? For example, I could imagine that player X is more likely to try to play the hero, if the teams are dead even (so if he misses, there would still be an overtime), while if you are one point behind there is a higher percentage of plays where you have still a pass at the end of the play. Some kind of “hero complex vs afraid to… Read more »
Kemba Walker is not Jason Kidd. I was a student at Cal when Jason Kidd was the point guard there. Kemba Walker is more of a shooter/scorer. I don’t think Walker will be more than a bench player in the NBA. He could be a very good one — think Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson on the Pistons’ back-to-back champiuonship teams — but I don’t see him being a 35-minutes-a-game player. Too short, and NBA guards will just post him up every time.
It’s you…
What similarities to do you see?
Hey, is it me, or does Kemba Walker totally remind you of Jason Kidd coming out of Cal?