Waiting for Death
2012-04-16
A friend of mine recently went through one of those demi-divorces where he and his live-in girlfriend ended their relationship about a month before their lease was up. I’ve heard most of the story, and the rest exists in my head: two people, still sort of in love, but not really; trying to be adults about the whole situation; trying not to divide their friends; sharing a bed; having weird, emotional sex still, when they’re both drunk, for some reason; separating their stuff; trying to figure out what to do next; being emotionally exhausted; watching DVDs together; trying to be friends; remembering; talking; supporting each other over this thing they had built, then expunged. I wonder if they both felt an inarticulable anger for a month. Like, I don’t hate you, but I need to not see your shoes next to mine when I leave for work in the morning. I need a shower of flame to burn the smell of you off me. My friend told me some of this, in an unenervated tone, at a bar last week. His eyes were like gas lamps.
There’s some solace is being done with things, is what I mean. Even horrible things that leave you with a gut full of disquiet and day whiskey. Fortunately, no Cavalier fan has had to share a home with this team—your grocery bill would be insane—but I think we’re all ready for the season to be over. To count the bruises and move on. To write draft profiles, count ping pong balls, and never speak the name Ryan Hollins again. There’s not much edifying to be taken from the remaining seven games the Cavaliers have on their schedule. Samardo Samuels isn’t going to bloom into Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving, whether or not he steps on the court again this season, is one of the best under-23 players in the league. We’re not learning anything or learning to love anyone. Rather, we’re sitting, cramped, maybe a little angry, in this middle space between realizing the end and its arrival. Before the shower of flame.
The shower of flame, by the way, is something I support. Here’s the only part of this dead relationship/dead season analogy that’s completely congruous: I just don’t want these people in my life on a daily basis anymore. Antawn Jamison’s contested pick-n-pop threes with 15 seconds on the shot clock incense me. The dejected face Samardo Samuels makes after he impotently fouls whomever he’s guarding makes me sad. The fact that Anthony Parker, when healthy, is the starting shooting guard of choice causes me to think I know more about basketball than three-time NBA champion Byron Scott. It’s not a healthy relationship. Can the Cavaliers head into the 2012-13 season with Irving, Tristan Thompson, Andy Varejao, Alonzo Gee, Luke Walton (because they, like, have to), Omri Casspi (again, contracts don’t always end when you want them to), and a new squad of also-rans? I have stared at this Rorschach test slide too long and need some new nobodies about whom I can think If that guy develops some chemistry with TT on the pick-and-roll, starts buckling down on defense, and stops turning the ball over so much, I think we might have ourselves a middling backup point guard! I can no longer do this with Donald Sloan. I’m sorry, Donald. I have peered into thine eyes for too long and now see only myself. And I would be a horrible NBA point guard.
I guess this marks the start of what’s going to be a deluge of eulogies in this space where I do these longform-y pieces once or twice a week. Because, outside of silly recaps and draft previews, there isn’t much else to do. The most productive thing we can do is recount our experiences with this team and try to wring whatever useful knowledge we can from them. So, y’know, I’ll be recapping the season. I’m making it sound dramatic when it’s not. But real talk: I’m sad this season has ended the way it has and annoyed it isn’t over already.
if you haven’t noticed HoopsDogg, its because you haven’t been paying attention. Its nothing new, and just cause you won’t pay to watch a team tank doesn’t mean that no one will. There are season ticket holders, hope is renewed every year, and dads want to take there kids to local games, they don’t know what tanking is. The league is not in any danger, no matter how pissed you are that your current team sucks at the moment. And the cavs have had a ton of injuries and one PLAYER who no longer gives a damn (jameson, who also… Read more »
Its been this way for 35 years, with people decrying it and calling it terrible and not buying tickets the last 1/4 of the season the entire time. The league has gotten by just fine, and will continue to do so. If the same team tanks every year will it last? Of course not, it will be moved to a different city or forced to sell. if a few teams tank each year, with a revolving door of those teams tanking, will it make any difference to the league? It hasn’t for 35 years, and sensationalism in the media is… Read more »
It is a bad situation for players and the NBA. I’d personally like to know who’s actually watching the games for the Cavs right now. I’m not. I’m not going to watch a team intentionally trying to lose. People won’t pay to watch teams tank games and they won’t watch the game as it happens. I am a fan of a team. I like to watch basketball games. I love a winner as much as the next guy, but lack of parity and teams intentionally losing to “get better” is killing the regular season, which will kill the money, kill… Read more »
If the sky falls, will I be happy? Of course not. So what? There is nothing any of us can do about it, and its not like the cavs have actively tried to suck. The only thing that could be construed as that is trading Ramon, and that was clearly a maximizing assets for someone who is walking deal, not a suck for draft position deal. I will always be glad we tried to get something for Ramon, even if we draft a bust in the 20s this year and the Lakers have a better record than Miami next year.… Read more »
Matt – Think about how many teams have tanked this year – teams traded good vet guys for nothing, teams sat “injured” players, etc. etc. Not all of those teams will strike gold this summer. What about them? The fact is, as fans, we should demand higher standards of play year to year. Just because we have a shot at striking gold right now doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have at least a passable team (which right now we obviously do not) I’m playing devil’s advocate, because obviously I’d rather we be bad at this point, but can you honestly say,… Read more »
The current system is no threat to ruin the NBA, its been this way or worse for 35 years, and the NBA has never been better (except maybe MJ years, which also occurred with the same system and was kicked off with even more egregious tank jobs). Just cause ESPN sensationalizes doesn’t mean you need to believe them.
HoopsDogg, I don’t personally like that system, as a lot of first round picks bust, so only getting a chance at one top pick keeps the bad teams bad. And a trading team that knows the pick isn’t worth as much to you isn’t likely to give you a fair deal for a top 3/5/10 pick. And trading for veterans is hardly the guaranteed panacea everyone on this blog seems to make it out to be. There are tons and tons of trade/free agent busts every year, just as much as 1st round draft picks. not-top tier players depend a… Read more »
On another note, I posted this to ESPN earlier, and thought it might do well here. It involves how to fix the tanking epidemic that is really threatening to ruin the NBA. I have a simple solution to the problem that doesn’t involve changing the lottery (though I’d change the percentages a little) system. Simply don’t allow teams to draft in the top 3 two years in a row. If a team gets a pick in the top 3, they automatically can’t get it again the next year. The best pick they could get is fourth, but if they trade… Read more »
All they really have to do is add the draft picks, stay relatively healthy (yes, that means you, Andy), and find a couple players that are better than Semih Erden, Anthony Parker, Luke Harangody, and Donald Sloan (which isn’t difficult in the least).
I agree with Scuzz completely. We are lucky to be in this situation (cap space, picks, owner willing to spend). Since I don’t think that we will be picking high enough to get Beal, I think we will end up with Barnes. Then, we could get Moultrie at the lakers pick. I would also like the Cavs to pick up Gordan and Asik in free agency. That would be an awesome offseason. Except for point guard, we would have either gotten a starter or good sub for every other position. Our team has so much flexibility for above average-good moves… Read more »
I’d prefer to look at what’s right around the corner.
I guess it depends on how you look at it. I really don’t care what’s happened for the past two years. It’s in the past. I’d prefer to what’s right around the corner. Draft picks, cap space, and an owner willing to spend to win. If Dan Gilbert wasn’t committed to winning… If the Cavs were going to be stuck over the cap for the next few years…. If the Cavs had no (or few) draft picks in the next copule of drafts… then, yes. There’s reason to be depressed. But I don’t believe any of these things are true.… Read more »
No one said anything about jumping ship – in fact, we’re all eager for the off season. But as fans of the NBA (which I’m assuming everyone on here is) isn’t more than a little depressing that for two straights years we’ve had the least relevent team in the NBA? (I’m talking cumulatively here – obviously the Bobcats are much less relevent this year)
I’m optomistic about next year, but cautiously.
Mallory, I don’t think anyone is accepting being this bad. I believe the Cavs have done everything they could have to improve in the past two seasons. But they haven’t had cap space, and they need more talent. Both of those problems could be solved this off-season. Overall, it’s been pretty tough to watch since LeBron left, but that could be changing very soon. I’m a little surprised that fans want to jump ship now, when the opportunity to make a change is just about here. They have the potential to add 2 quality starters before the start of next… Read more »
The problem with the grand idea of sacrificing to be better is that much of the outcome of all this supposed sacrificing is entirely out of our control. It’s not like by watching a terrible team for a month we’re assured next year will be great – so much has to work out for that to happen (good drafting, smart FA signings, player progression, etc.) That’s why these seasons hurt so much – all the talk about the future is exhausting when the future could really go either way. Cavs fans (and Cleveland fans) don’t we know how meaningful (or… Read more »
I don’t think this season is even comparable to last. I REALLY enjoyed watching this team until Andy went down, and even kinda enjoyed it until Kyrie went down. C’mon Bradley Beal! It would sure be fun watching him and Kyrie take turns scoring tough baskets and making some noise as an up and coming 6th or 7th seed
I like the med school metaphor. Hopefully we won’t fail the “finals”.
I find both sides of the discussion, Matt and the original poster, to have a bit of merit. Gee and Thompson may not be as good as we want them to be, and that is probably my biggest concern. I have given up on expecting consistency/solid play from Lester, Donald, Samardo, Semih, Omri, and Luke. Might as well add Boobie to that list too. I worry that we both can’t get a good player in free agency, and that players in free agency wont want to come to Cleveland. I worry that our draft pick will end up 7th and… Read more »
Completely agree with Matt. We need to focus on the positives from this season: Kyrie, Gee’s improvement, Andy playing very well, multiple draft picks, and lots of cap space. Better times are on the way. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the prize.
So dramatic. Man, we never should have flirted with the playoffs, its got all you people depressed when in the big picture this season couldn’t have gone much better. We have a pretty solid chance of landing an impact player (barnes would be a consolation prize at this point) in the draft, cap flexibility to spare, one future star in Kyrie (i’m not going to hedge here, the guy will make many (at least 5) all-star games, even if he doesn’t live up to his hall of fame potential), a young running mate who SIGNIFICANTLY improved on his by far… Read more »
Having just gone through one of those “demi-divorces,” I can say that it seems to me both a terrible and a terribly appropriate analogy for this season. Let it end and let us build a team anew.
Nothing like coming to my favorite blog and reading a detailed recap of my current life in the most recent post :)
Major positive….not living in Cleveland anymore, so I don’t have to watch this misery every night…
I will take this season over 2010-2011 any day. So much more potential
This season has been an absolute war of attrition, and that includes my loyalty and attention span. Tankapalooza 2012 has absolutely killed my will to live.
I remember when you guys used to do those rebuild plans for 2013. Since we are getting a bit closer to the draft, could you guys start doing those again? It would also be cool if us commenters would also give our own ideas about what the Cavs should do in the comments section of those posts.