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Cleveland Cavs (2016 NBA Champions)

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It's going to be a problem in the playoffs again. This team has no defensive identity and can't score like they could last year. Altman won't, but I'd look to bring in some defensive guys. The scoring machine didn't work last year, so it definitely won't work this year. I'd reshape this team's identity, and fast. I know they're going to try to plug Isaiah in as Kyrie Lite when he comes back, but I'd resist the urge to do that because it won't work. Keep either Thomas and LeBron or Love and LeBron and reshuffle the rest. Try to win games in the mid-80s. At this rate, Toronto (I know) could eliminate them from the playoffs with their new three-point heavy system.

I'd be concerned about the Nets going forward, too. They have no incentive to tank, and the East is so bad that either Brooklyn or Orlando is going to wind up making the playoffs by default. If the Cavs traded Irving for less than a lottery pick, that hurts.

I'm also concerned about the rotation. Crowder is what, the third best player on this team right now? He only played 21 minutes tonight. JR hasn't been good since before the playoffs started last year. That's beginning to look less like an aberration and more like who he is at 32 years old. I know people think LeBron is going to stick around because the Cavs are still the best team in a bad Eastern Conference, but this mirrors the end of his tenure in Miami. Part of it is injury, but most of it is just a roster of aging guys that can't score or defend. Smith, Korver, and Frye are all guys that worked two years ago, but not anymore.
 
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Bucklion said:
Simple...don’t play defense for 3 quarters. Every team that runs the run-chuck-hope offense is going to punk this team.
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Yep. At the end of the game, Kevin Love and J.R. were playing their old, tired defensive strategy of, "I'll stand here without so much as a hand up, let a guy jack a three on me, and I won't do anything except hope it doesn't go in." What's worse, those two don't box out down the stretch, and they brick ill-advised threes on the offensive end. This Cavs team losing to Brooklyn (especially Brooklyn without Russell) should never happen.
 
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It's officially panic time. I don't believe in panicking during the regular season, but this roster simply isn't capable of winning deep into the postseason. Love and LeBron look decent (aside from their total disinterest in defense), but the rest of the team is bad. JR Smith and Tristan Thompson look unplayable.

I'm not even sure how you fix this mess because there are no assets to deal (Brooklyn pick withstanding, and I'm not dealing that for a team that would be lucky to make the Finals).


 
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BuckeyeMafia said:
It's officially panic time. I don't believe in panicking during the regular season, but this roster simply isn't capable of winning deep into the postseason. Love and LeBron look decent (aside from their total disinterest in defense), but the rest of the team is bad. JR Smith and Tristan Thompson look unplayable.
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Old, slow, and un-athletic is not a great recipe for success in the NBA. Add poor shooting into the mix, and you have the current edition of the Cleveland Cavs.

J.R. Smith was never going to be the same after getting a fat contract. But how did Tristan Thompson get so bad so quickly? Is it really the Kardashian Kurse?
 
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LordJeffBuck said:
Old, slow, and un-athletic is not a great recipe for success in the NBA. Add poor shooting into the mix, and you have the current edition of the Cleveland Cavs.

J.R. Smith was never going to be the same after getting a fat contract. But how did Tristan Thompson get so bad so quickly? Is it really the Kardashian Kurse?
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Likely because they spent the whole offseason trying to replace him. He just doesn’t look like he gives a fuck because he thought he was going to be an end of the bench guy. I don’t know, I think the more he plays the better he is for rebounding, etc.
 
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Here's Kevin O'Connor on the current state of the Cavs. He suggests Bledsoe but I'm not sure what you can do beyond that. Thomas will help them score the ball, but they aren't going to outscore teams when they give up 125 every night.

I've come to terms with the fact that we were never going to top last year's team when we traded Irving. Worse yet, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum look like they're good enough to help Irving beat the Cavs. And that's if someone else doesn't eliminate them first.
 
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