DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cavs (and NBA) Preseason Thread

OK, so the NBA preseason has started. I like the additions we made this year, and really think that Jarrett Jack is going to help a great deal. I am cautiously optimistic that the addition of Bynum and a return to health by Andy ... combined with a reportedly bigger and stronger Zeller, could allow the Cavs to cautiously limit the minutes played by Bynum and Andy in order to help keep them as healthy as possible. SF is still a question mark, but I think that they could wind up with NBA average+ level talent at C, PF, SG, and PG. I love the Guard rotation with an ever improving Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, who will hopefully be more of a drive the basket guy, and Jack who could be a respectable starter at either position, and is a super sub. Also, Felix shows real potential as a late game defender. Obviously health is a huge concern, but talent-wise, l love our bigs. If we can get defense out of Gee and Clark at SF, and offense out of Miles and Karasev, we might be able to stitch together a respectable season at SF.

I am more than cautiously optimistic about this coming year. I like our chances to make the playoffs if we can keep guys healthy, and then ... who knows?

Anyway .... onto the preseason ......

Cleveland Cavaliers down Milwaukee Bucks, 99-87, in Mike Brown's return to Q | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/10/post_72.html#incart_m-rpt-2#incart_special-report

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Wondering whether All-Star Kyrie Irving would buy into new coach Mike Brown's defensive system?

The answer came in the second quarter of the first preseason game, when Irving contested three shots on one play before finally blocking a shot by Milwaukee's Stephen Graham as the Cavs welcomed Brown back with a 99-87 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the exhibition opener on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

In truth, Irving has bought in since Day One, working out hard all summer and saying on media day that he was looking forward to being in a defensive stance for the next 31 days, which would cover all of training camp.

Tuesday night was the first chance for him to publicly show off his new commitment, even if it was just an exhibition game against a not very good opponent.

"I was just chasing the ball,'' he said of that second-quarter play. "We always preach multiple efforts. That's one of our staples. That's what's going to make us a good team.''

What's going to make them a good team is if their floor general sets a good example, and Brown couldn't be happier with how that's going.

In fact, the coach said he showed a clip of that Irving play at halftime.

"He was out of position a little bit but I can't get on a guy if he's going to give that type of effort,'' Brown said of Irving. "If he gives that type of effort, everybody else needs to fall in line. If he doesn't, now it's harder for me to preach my message to everybody else.

"But Kyrie's been terrific in that area of trying to lead the team. He's done a fantastic job. The best way to do it is on the court. That was a heck of a play. He was just running all over the place trying to help his teammates out.''

The now right-handed Tristan Thompson, who always displays that kind of engery, led the Cavs with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Irving had 14 points and three assists.

No. 1 draft choice Anthony Bennett recovered from a slow start to finish with seven points and 10 rebounds, while undrafted rookie Kenny Kadji had 15 points and five rebounds as Brown kept his pre-game promised and played everyone who was healthy.

Stephen Graham led Milwaukee with 15 points and rookie Giannis Antetokounm added 14 points but the Bucks shot 37.7 percent and had 24 turnovers. The Bucks also lost starting power forward Ersan Ilyasova with a sprained right ankle in the second quarter.

The Cavs had 26 turnovers of their own, but they could use the excuse that they've barely worked on their offense.

They have been almost all defense all the time, and Brown extended that to Tuesday's game, when he took a timeout every time he needed to correct a defensive miscue.

Get used to it.

"They've got to understand, if I use all my timeouts in the first half and we go to a mandatory and I don't have any and it's a technical foul, so be it,'' he said. "They've got to understand how important each possession is. We talk about the commitment to the process. This process is not a weekly process or a monthly process. It's play by play by play.

"Every little thing counts. I want them to feel and know and understand it's important to us as a staff, therefore, since we're all in this together, it should be important to them as a group or as individuals.''

Thompson doesn't mind.

"I think it's important,'' he said. "Being 30th in the league in defense [last season], he has every right to stop us every possession because we haven't proved we can stop teams. We've got to break it down bit by bit and perfect it.''

Thanks to 13 points and seven rebounds from Thompson, the Cavs rolled out to a 52-38 lead at halftime and it was never much of a game. They held the Bucks to 35.1 percent shooting and forced 12 turnovers in the first half, though in truth that probably said more about the Bucks than the Cavs at this point, in spite of all Brown's efforts to this point.

Pretty excited for the season. I really like the additions. Jarrett Jack should help with keeping Kyrie's minutes under control, as well as an alternate option if KI gets hurt.

I didn't see the game last night but it sounds like Bennett has a long ways to go. That's fine. I kind of think of him the way the Browns handled Mingo where he ended up 2 on the depth chart. Less pressure, and you can ease him into your plans. There's no rush for AB to be great right away.

I'm with everyone else with just being a little cautious about Bynum. I've heard December/January is what they are shooting for. Regardless, I cannot knock the Cavs for the move, and actually they should be commended for pulling it off, considering it's a fail-safe type of move.

I followed this game a bit on the Game Cast, and TT looked like he was having a pretty good game. He could be a double-double machine this year, and his free-throw percentage could improve with his switched-shooting hand thing.

Kyrie will be Kyrie, and it will be interesting to see if Dion improves, and how much. The big question will be, "How does Bynum fit in". If we can get him up to his potential, keep him healthy, and find a way to fit him in with a rotation of Andy, Tyler, TT and Bennett ... it will be the difference of us being a playoff contender versus us being lottery fodder again.

26 turnovers?! Just wanted more opportunities to practice defense?

If we got a "3 and D" SF we'd have a tremendous half court offense with Bynum.

Teamed looked tons better defensively already than any time under scott. But offense seemed to have trouble moving the ball or they moved it too much. Our starters pounded theirs, if it would have been a reg season game, we probably would have won by 30..milwaukee looks like a lottery team in the making.
Bennett looks horrible, i mean flat out bad, to be honest, he reminds me alot of thompson when he was a rookie. So hopefully things get better. I thought he was a pick 10-15...noway a #1 Overall. 10-15 yeah i'd say he'd can have a few gimme's, but for the 1st pick, i would have liked to see a little more flash, esp against the bucks. That undrafted rookie we got kadji, looks to be a player. I can see him sneaking on the team. VERY young team, but you can already see how much Brown has grown as a coach. I loved him using a timeout after every defensive breakdown to teach. Thats what preseason is for. I think Brown will be much better this time around as a complete coach. He's got some good talent, and they seem to buy into what he's saying. Plus Kyrie likes him, which will be huge for Brown coming in and getting everyone to buy in. I hated the Scott hire, I think Scott is one of the most over rated coaches. I thought we should have just stayed with Brown if we weren't getting a big name.

Andy looks like Andy for the most part, but I've noticed he's slowed down a bit and can't jump very well..Wonder how his conditioning has been. Tristan looks alot better playing right handed. His shot always looked off playing left. One game in..can't wait till we play Friday in Orlando.. I love me some basketball

I love the fact that Tristan should be able to shoot using either hand. That should create all kinds of defensive problems for the opposition.

I have read that we haven't worked on offense much at all so far, as Brown has concentrated mostly on getting his defense installed so far.

Anthony Bennett's ceiling is Larry Johnson. Being optimistic I see him being like Paul Milsap. Being pessimistic I see him being Brandon Bass.

This season to me is 100% about how Bynum performs and how our young guys grow.

I just don't see any way he comes back. I think that we could offer a very good team that would be a contender with him on board. (especially if Bynum stays healthy throughout this year) he has said that he would love to play with Kyrie, and IIRC he is pretty close with Tristan Thompson as well. I don't know that we would be in position to add 2 max deals. I wonder if Lebron wants another "name" established superstar to play alongside.

I dunno. I still think that he'll wind up elsewhere. We'll get the big tease, then the middle finger again.

Like Sperg, I'm over it. "The Decision" and his time in Miami don't even register with me anymore. He's just another guy not on the Cavs that's really good. And if he decides to stay in Miami or go to NY, it won't bother me at all.

He gave Cleveland a lot but then left in a bad way, that I think he would do over again if he could (they way he left, not leaving). And I understand and "forgive" it now.

If I saw him walking down Michigan Ave here in Chicago, I'd go up to him, say hi, thank him for all the years in Cleveland and wish him luck. I don't carry a grudge anymore.

I would openly accept him back, but I doubt he'd do it. I think he'll go to LA or NY. He'll want to set his legacy in a big market.

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I would openly accept him back, but I doubt he'd do it. I think he'll go to LA or NY. He'll want to set his legacy in a big market.

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I think he has already hurt himself with that respect... what do you think of when you think of Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, Bill Russell, Dr. J, Kareem, Ewing, etc.? One team... LeBron the player will always get his props, but his "legacy" of switching teams for more money, better chance at championships, whatever is going to hurt him...

Just curious, how did he rig the system? Didn't he just use the system that was in place to his advantage?

No. I can name their secondary teams because I have a lot of random sports knowledge.

You remember players because they are good, not because they played for one team.

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I think of great basketball players, not their teams.

(Jordan played for the Wizards, Dr. J played for the 76ers, Kareem played for the Bucks, and Ewing played for the Magic and the Sonics).

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Ok but if somebody says "Remember MJ?" you get a visual image in your head of him in a Bulls uniform.. or Kareem in his Lakers uniform... or Ewing with the Knicks.. heck I'd think of MJ in his UNC uniform before it ever came to my head in a Wizards uniform.

Here's the thing.. MJ went to the Bulls who had 25-30 win seasons for a number of years before he got there.. and it took him 7 years but eventually he matured and he got the pieces he needed and he started winning championships..

Bird went to the Celtics who had won 30 games a year for a few years.. and it only took him 2 years to win a championship.

Magic got lucky and went to playoff team and won a championship as a rookie...

LeBron went to a 25-30 win team and matured and got close.. then he panicked... and rather do what almost every other star has done, which is lure other players to him.. LeBron went chasing... I'm not saying it's good or it's bad, just that it will affect his "legacy" when compared to other stars who stayed home and won championships.. doesn't make him any better or worse of a player..

It won't affect his legacy anywhere besides Cleveland. He did not panic, he did exactly what he had planned on doing for a couple of years.

For anyone interested ...... NBA Network has the Cavaliers/Magic game from last night today at noon.

I think that I'm gonna DVR it so I can watch it later, and fast forward through the commercials. lol

You've given me an idea how to renew my long lost interest in the NBA ... record the game and fast forward through the first 3-1/2 quarters ... brilliant!

I taped the live broadcast and missed most of the 4th quarter. Supposedly AB played well in the 4th (14 of his 16 points). I got to see a few of those shots go in.

I would say, he looks out of shape. Maybe I'm so used to seeing ripped NBA players.

Yeah, he definitely needs to work his way back into shape.Of course, he had a shoulder, so that eliminated a lot of lifting and upper body exercises.

I have read that he really caught fire in the 4th quarter of the game, and was hitting almost everything. I can't wait to see how he does for myself.

He is out of shape, he's admitted so. The shoulder didn't allow him to do any weight work and he wasn't even allowed to run for a while during his rehab, as he wasn't allowed to move the shoulder. He was brilliant in the fourth quarter.

I know that he's young and has growing to do, but I was really, really pleased with Karasev. His shot is so smooth and nearly flawless. He was hustling and diving on defense. He has got to bulk up before he gets major minutes, but there are a LOT of tools there.

for a big man bennett has a crazy quick release

I am watching the game right now, and Taylor just had a couple of really nice plays. I thought that we would have a really nice Guard rotation this year with Irving, Waiters, and Jack ..... but Taylor may force his way into being a 4th name in the discussion. I like a lot of what I have seen/read about Felix, but he seems destined to start the year at the D league level to get more work.

Also, Bynum is "close" to returning to practice, as the 2nd article says.

I really like some of the young players we have this year. Guys like Karasev, Sims, and maybe Taylor (though maybe less likely because of the numbers) all have a shot at maybe making the team this year.

Young guards Sergey Karasev and Jermaine Taylor step up for Cleveland Cavaliers in 96-84 victory over Detroit Pistons | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/..._special-report

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jermaine Taylor stole some of Sergey Karasev's thunder. Literally.

Taylor's slam dunk off an alley-oop pass from Karasev was one of the highlights of the short-handed Cavaliers 96-84 exhibition victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night at The Q.

Afterwards, both young guards earned words of praise from coach Mike Brown after stepping up in difficult circumstances to help the Cavs improve to 3-1 in the preseason.

"I was impressed with the way those guys played,'' Brown said. "They kept the game simple. They moved the basketball. They communicated defensively. They played great D. They ran the floor.

"Jermaine was terrific. Once we controlled the loose ball or rebound, he just got out and ran the floor, got easy baskets, put pressure on our opponents. When we get stops and we get out and run like we did tonight, it makes the game fun for everybody. So I applaud both those guys for their performance that they had tonight. I thought it was really good.''

Karasev, the rookie from Russia, started in place of Dion Waiters, who was out with a right hip contusion, and finished with 10 points, including 2 of 4 3-pointers. In addition to his alley-oop, he also threaded the needle with a perfect pass to Anderson Varejao, who threw it behind his back to Tristan Thompson for a slam late in the second quarter.

Taylor, the 32nd pick in the 2009 draft by Washington out of Central Florida, was pressed into action when C.J. Miles went out with a sore left leg just before tipoff. The Cavs also were without Andrew Bynum (knees), Carrick Felix (sports hernia), Jarrett Jack (knees), Dion Waiters (right hip contusion/soreness) and Tyler Zeller (appendectomy).

Taylor took advantage of his opportunity.

"It felt real good,'' said Taylor, who played 31 games with Houston in 2009-10 and 34 with Houston and Sacramento in 2010-11, then spent time with the Maine Red Claws in the DLeague and in China, Israel and Spain last season. "This is my first time really playing in an NBA game in a few years. It just felt good to be out there playing when the game actually matters. I'm happy.''

Taylor thinks he just needs to find the right team at the right time.

"Any time I've gotten minutes, I've always done the same thing,'' he said. "Every time I get an opportunity I take advantage of it. It just seems I'm always in a bad situation -- too many guards. I have to wait my turn. I'm just hoping this works out for me.''

Brown has been singing Taylor's praises since he played well for the Cavs in the summer league, and the coach continued to do so on Thursday. Asked what he thought was keeping Taylor out of the league, Brown said, "It's just got to be with the right team, right fit. if he can find the right fit -- he's athletic, he's quick, he's tough, he's strong, he's got a nose for the rim. He can be a great defender because of all those attributes.

"He has a chance, it's just got to be the right fit. Maybe we are. I just don't know yet. But the way he played tonight on both ends of the floor, you have to appreciate what you saw.''

In spite of all the injuries, the Cavs led most of the first half until a 15-3 run by the Pistons gave Detroit a 49-43 lead at halftime. Thompson led the Cavs with 11 points in the first half. Greg Monroe and Josh Smith each had 10 points in the first half for the Pistons.

Then perhaps to prevent the sort of horrible third quarter the Cavs suffered through in Tuesday's 92-74 loss to Charlotte in Canton, Kyrie Irving scored 13 points in the third quarter to help Cleveland build a 70-67 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Monroe wound up with 16 points and 8 rebounds for the Pistons, 2-3, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back after Wednesday loss in Chicago.


Andrew Bynum is 'close' to practicing, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown says | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/10/andrew_bynum_is_close_to_pract.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio — After watching center Andrew Bynum work out hard in three-on-three competition the past few days, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said Thursday night he thinks Bynum is close to being able to practice.

However, asked if Bynum might be able to play in one of the Cavs' four remaining preseason games, Brown said: "I don't know. We're not going to rush him.''

Bynum missed all of last season with knee issues after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Philadelphia 76ers. He signed a two-year free-agent contract with the Cavs this summer and although he has worked diligently since then, he has not yet been cleared to practice five-on-five full court.

"He looks good,'' Brown said of the workouts he has seen. "We just want to make sure that we're cautious with this thing and we're handling it the right way. Andrew has done a great job. We're excited about his progress and where he's at.''

The Cavs have been careful not to put any sort of timetable on Bynum's return, but the coach delivered what is no doubt good news to the team and its fans on Thursday when he said, "This is just my opinion: I think he's close.''

I am actually kind of impressed with Karasev's defense. I thought that he had a solid night overall.

This kid looks like a rather polished player. His defense was actually fairly impressive yesterday ..... and he's not really a 2. He does need to add more size/strength to play SF on a more regular basis ..... but I do believe that he will prove to be, overall, our best player there.

He had a couple of absolutely beautiful passes yesterday. He fired a pass into Andy, who immediately shot it behind his back to a running Thompson for the slam. Just beautiful ball movement. He also had a couple of really nice assists later on. He had a very, nice pass to the other Guard we played yesterday, hitting him perfectly at the rim.

I think that he'll play sooner rather than later. He needs to get stronger to play the SF position, but he looks to have great length, and he understands defensive principles. He certainly looks like he knows what he's doing on the court, and he is willing to make the extra pass to get a teammate a great shot. He's also got a nice stroke. The 2 threes he hit looked about as easy as free throws. He just lined up and fired. He also looks like a guy who can create his own shot ... granted in limited opportunities.

Bennett also seems to be finding his stride. He's badly out of shape, but he's not begging out of games.Clearly he wants to work his way back. I can see why they like him, and took him #1 overall. He has a beautiful stroke, and can create as well. It's clear to see what they considered a weakness, and addressed in this draft. .

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-bask...hma-sleep-apnea

Bennett also apparently has sleep apnea and asthma. That hurts both how hard he can go in games and deteriotes how much he can condition. Not good things for an athlete to have (hopefully, we can treat enough to mitigate).

Tristan was actually knocking down 20+ foot jumpers. This right hand thing might actually work.

He looks damn good so far. I love that he can shoot effectively with either hand. He's gonna be a double double guy for sure this year. I think that Irving very well might be a double double guy too.

So what are your roster prediction? I think that most of the roster is pretty well set.

PG: Irving, Jack
SG: Waiters, Karasev, Felix (to Canton)
SF: Clark, Gee, Miles
PF: Thompson, Bennett
C: Bynum, Varejao, Zeller, Sims (as insurance, plus he looked solid in the preseason)

That leaves one spot, and I would guess that it's probably Dellavadado at this point. I would like to see another big, but I just haven't seen enough from Kadji to justify him taking a spot. We have seen a ton of playing time for Dellavadado. I guess that Taylor could be a possibility .... but I think that Dellavadado is more versatile.

That's my guess anyway.

So we have potentially two franchise players (Bynum when healthy) and some very high quality caliber role players.