While he will certainly make a pitch to LeBron - contingent upon the Heat not 3-peating, which would lock up his return to Miami... at least for the last year of his contract - Gilbert already has made some significant plays.  Bynum was a HUGE roll of the dice.... one only the most motivated of owners would have made.  Keep in mind that no teams even bothered to try and match our offer.  I also think the fanbase is seriously overlooking and/or underestimating the signings of Jack and Clark.  The bottom line is that, while Gilbert is open to criticism for certain things, you can't criticize his desire to win and his willingness to spend.

It's not April Fool's and this is not a joke.  Lasagna Flop is on our training camp roster - http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/09/cleveland_cavaliers_2013-14_tr.html#incart_river#incart_special-report

It's not April Fool's and this is not a joke.  Lasagna Flop is on our training camp roster - http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/09/cleveland_cavaliers_2013-14_tr.html#incart_river#incart_special-report

 

NOT AGAIN!

Sure, it's just a preseason game, but the Cavs opened a can on the Bucks last night at the Q.  The starter jumped all over them.  Tristan is looking like he might explode.  He was dominant in the paint..... and I love the new 'do.  Dion seems to have shown up in top shape and Kyrie has definitely worked on his body as well.  The defense was what you would expect from a Mike Brown team.  The ball movement on offense was fluid and crisp.  Several highlight reel plays were seen in the first half when they were basically toying with the Bucks.  The lead was at 20 for a good part of the game, prior to the Bucks cutting it down to a final "diff" of 12 with the players who are not going to make the team in the game.

 

Bennett didn't play all that well.  That might have been the lone downer on an otherwise impressive night.  He did show some flashes, but I seriously doubt he will be in the running for ROY, especially if Tristan has made the jump he appears to have made.  Bennett is built like a mack truck (ironically, a friend of mine quipped that he looks a lot like a young Bernie Mack in the face).  His shoulders seem as wide as the foul lane.  Very quick off his feet.  He caught a nice alley-oop and showed the ability to go to the rim with his left hand.  He also drew a lot of fouls banging around down low.  But he is going to need to learn how to get his shot off in the NBA.  He wasn't using his pump fakes and he shot some really ugly 3's, two of which air-balled.  He also looked confused on defense.  Stephen Graham (yes, THAT Stephen Graham) was somewhat schooling him on the block.

 

Our other first rounder, Karasev, showed off his quick release and some good passing.  But he also showed his young age on certain plays.  Absent injury, I don't think he will be a regular rotation player this year.  The second rounder, Felix, on the other hand, seems like a Mike Brown type player.  He was down on the floor diving for balls, running the floor, and overall showing a lot of hustle.  The most impressive rookie last night for us was actually an undrafted guy, Kenny Kajdi, who plays a little like a young Chris Anderson in that he is just a ball of energy.

 

It was great to see Mike Brown's enthusiasm back on the sideline.  He was up out of his seat, coaching up the players throughout the game.  Anytime someone lapsed on D, even when we were up big, he immediately called a TO and took that player to the side.  He is a stark contrast to the Byron Scott stoic, arms-crossed approach.

 

Lastly, I saw Bynum standing next to Diop and Zeller, both of whom are legit 7 footers.  He had a good couple inches on each.  That's a huge man.  I hope he can get healthy.

For another three quarters last night, I was really getting concerned about Bennett's ability to contribute in the NBA this season.  He was really stinking it up.  To pour salt on the wound, the #2 pick in the draft, Victor Oladipo, was showing well.  But then Bennett absolutely EXPLODES in the fourth quarter and finishes off a huge comeback for the W.  He had something around 15 points in the fourth, hitting 3 pointers, turn around jumpers, face-ups.... really showcasing the skills that made him the #1 pick.  Most of the comeback, however, occurred in the 3rd, when our starters turned up the heat on the defensive side, especially Kyrie, after Brown called them out.

Sam Amico ‏@SamAmicoFSO 22m

Andrew Bynum progressing, working out. Seen at Cavs practice today. Smiling, ice bags on knees after practice. Still no 5-on-5 tho. #nba

Saw some Uncle Drew moves out there by Kyrie tonight in Columbus. He got a few well-deserved "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd and the announcers.

 

http://www.nba.com/video/games/cavaliers/2013/10/21/0011300085-phi-cle-play2.nba

 

BTW, Henry Sims had a decent game and may end up winning the backup center job. But the Cavs had way too many turnovers and their team shooting percentage sucked.

^They were trying to show off a little too much for the crowd at the Schott against what might be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season.  I get it though.  Kyrie certainly earned some CBus fans he might not have previously had.  I imagine the marketing departmnet got on the team after their poor showing in Canton.  Cincy is next on the schedule.  I like that they are doing a mini Ohio tour before the season.

 

Sims is looking real solid.  Typical for a Georgetown bigman.  In fact, you could argue that Zeller is going to have to beat him out when he comes back for that backup center job.  Sims will make the team, regardless, as he can play both C and PF.  I think the Australian PG, Delladova (?), also makes the 15 man roster.  I expect it to look something like this...

 

Bynum - Varejao - Zeller

Thompson - Bennett - Sims

Gee - Clark - Felix

Waiters - Miles - Karasev

Irving - Jack - Delladova

 

I think I've accounted for everyone.  That would leave maybe one spot if Bynum or somebody else starts the season on IR (I doubt it).  If there is a slot open, I would expect it to come down to Jermaine Taylor (SG) and Kenny Kadji (C/PF).  Based on minutes handed out in the preseason, Taylor would seem to have the edge.

Speaking of "Uncle Drew"..... him and Wes (Kevin Love) are supposed to be picking up a new teammate this week.  I haven't seen any speculation on who is might be.  My best (wild) guesses are Paul George, Steph Curry, or Anthony Davis.  The latter would make a great old man with 'the brow.  Whomever it is, they just need to remember Uncle Drew's rule - "don't reach, young blood."

^They were trying to show off a little too much for the crowd at the Schott against what might be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season.  I get it though.  Kyrie certainly earned some CBus fans he might not have previously had.  I imagine the marketing departmnet got on the team after their poor showing in Canton.  Cincy is next on the schedule.  I like that they are doing a mini Ohio tour before the season.

 

Sims is looking real solid.  Typical for a Georgetown bigman.  In fact, you could argue that Zeller is going to have to beat him out when he comes back for that backup center job.  Sims will make the team, regardless, as he can play both C and PF.  I think the Australian PG, Delladova (?), also makes the 15 man roster.  I expect it to look something like this...

 

Bynum - Varejao - Zeller

Thompson - Bennett - Sims

Gee - Clark - Felix

Waiters - Miles - Karasev

Irving - Jack - Delladova

 

Do you see Tristan and Andy in the same lineup?  I'm intrigued because that's a lot of rebounding potential. Or would they just be in the way of each other?

Those two have not played a lot together over the course of Tristan's career, mostly due to Andy's injuries, but the chemistry seems to be clicking just fine so far.  In fact, we have seen several dynamic passes from Andy to Tristan this preseason.  It helps that both of them are serviceable from 15-20 feet out with their jump shots and ability to drive.... two things neither of them were very good at earlier in their careers.  They are also both interchangeable between C and PF.  Ideally, you want to bring Andy early off the bench to run circles around the other teams starters once they start to get tired.  When Bynum gets healthy enough to play, I expect him to start alongside Tristan, with early relief (about midway through the 1st quarter) coming from Andy off the bench.

 

ESPN has finished their player rankings, btw.  Kyrie came in at #8.  Andy was at #62.  Tristan was at #99.  Dion, Bynum, Jack and Bennett all came in shortly after Tristan.  Bynum, of course, would be a top 20 player easily if healthy.  I expect Tristan to make a giant leap this year.  Dion might..... he might not.  I'm still up in the air as to whether he is going to be more than just a solid player.  Time will tell.

Season opener tonight in case anybody cares.  You'd barely know it listening to the talk around town....

I'm looking forward to it. I think the two oft-overlooked questions are how Tristan and Dion grow this year. If they continue to improve, this team will be above .500. If Andy B and Andy V stay healthy and contribute in a meaningful way, this will definitely be a playoff team.

 

EDIT: They're talking Cavs on Baskin & Phelps almost exclusively. Most callers are pretty positive about the season.

 

No poll, so I will go ahead and make my BOLD predictions:

 

- Cavs make the playoffs in the 5-8 seed range

- TT wins or is in serious contention for Most Improved Player

- Kyrie starts the All-Star game for the East

- Karasev doesn't come close to winning it, but finishes ahead of Bennett in ROY voting

- Bennett struggles at times and there are some stretches in the season in which he doesn't get any PT

- Bynum plays about 60 games (less than 30 mins/gm) and Andy gets serious consideration for 6th Man of the Year

- Dion's PPG don't improve much, but his efficiency goes through the roof

^How many wins? Vegas has the over/under at 40.5. 

My range would probably be 38-49.  Anything less than close to .500 ball would be a monumental disappointment and I honestly would be shocked if they jumped to 50 wins.

No poll, so I will go ahead and make my BOLD predictions:

 

- Cavs make the playoffs in the 5-8 seed range

- TT wins or is in serious contention for Most Improved Player

- Kyrie starts the All-Star game for the East

- Karasev doesn't come close to winning it, but finishes ahead of Bennett in ROY voting

- Bennett struggles at times and there are some stretches in the season in which he doesn't get any PT

- Bynum plays about 60 games (less than 30 mins/gm) and Andy gets serious consideration for 6th Man of the Year

- Dion's PPG don't improve much, but his efficiency goes through the roof

 

Can't argue with any of that, but Dion is still a big question mark for me.

yeah duon and so are the injuries bug. i cant wait to see who bulked up a bit, i heard kyrie did.

 

Bynum is in, and actually doing things. Pretty sweet.

Pretty nice win tonight.

They are nine deep without a superstar. 43 wins is my prediction.

I really enjoyed that game tonight. I was following on Twitter various sports commentators (both professional and amatuer) who also seemed to appreciate what the young Cavs did against a good, veteran Nets team.

 

The two biggest off-season additions (Jack and Bynum) I think jumpstarted this team when the Nets got out to a 10-2 lead, especially as Kyrie had only one basket in the first half. And the defense won this game when the Cavs' shots in the fourth period couldn't hit water if they'd tossed them from a boat in the middle of Lake Erie. There is no way the Cavs could have won this game last year.

If Bynum is able to contribute 15 minutes a night consistently, and more once in awhile, I'd set the ceiling on this team closer to 45-50 wins. There are some pretty bad teams the Cavs will be playing regularly, and then four dangerous ones (CHI, IND, MIA, BRK). The ability to get quality wins is the difference between doing just okay and pulling away from the pack. Last night was ugly, but it was a quality win.

They are nine deep without a superstar

 

Uncle Drew is not a superstar?  He's a concensus top 10 player, and generally thought of as one of if not the best players under 25,  NBA GMs ranked him third (behind the overwhelming favorite, LBJ, and just slightly behind Durant) as the player they would select as the centerpiece of their franchise.

 

 

Kyrie is already on the cover of NBA Live 2014 and all over the web page. That other guy is on the cover of NBA2k14....

 

http://www.easports.com/nba-live

Very impressed, and totally stoked at the possibilities with a healthy Andrew Bynum.  But consider the fact that we were far from full strength.  2 rookies who are expected to provide good things: Karasev and Felix, were out injured and Tyler is still hobbled with the appendectomy; wasn’t nearly himself.  And of course, Bynum gave us less than 8 minutes (and his appearance, at all, totally blew me away!). 

 

All of our young guys, save the excellent Tristan Thompson, came out nervous and out of control, even Kyrie.  Jarrett Jack, whose pick up was gigantic, settled us down and turned a potential Brooklyn rout into a 1-point Cavs lead at the end of the 1st quarter…  Bennett showed me flashes with his speed to the bucket, his rebounding and his bothersome big, active body on D, even though his nerves, also, were eating him alive… But remember how awful Tristan looked?  How many fans and media were attacking Chris Grant for taking TT as the 4th overall pick?  Now, Tristan very well may be the 2nd most beloved player on the team (even ahead of Andy) based on his work ethic and constant improvement – the young guy is busting ass… I think Earl Clark’s size will be a major asset; he’s bigger and longer than most 3s (a natural 4, of course, who Mike’s converted into a 3).  Clark really bothered Peirce at times, esp late in the game.

 

Bottom Line: this team has a tall and aggressive Mike Brown-type D while having a ton of weapons on O… This is going to be a fun ride…

 

Jason Lloyd was just on espn 850 talking about the Cavs.  He made a comment about Tristan Thompson becoming an all-star caliber player sooner rather than later.  A year ago he could've never imagined saying that.  Everyone is very impressed with this kid's work ethic and new found shooting touch. 

I'm happy with what I saw, but I can't place a lot of stock in Bynum. Not because he won't be willing to work and play his role, but because of his knees. They said on the radio today that his ligaments are completely shot, and they're hoping that they can build up the muscle in his legs enough to make up the difference.

 

That's the medical equivalent of duct tape and bailing wire. Those knees are done, and I can't rely on him to get more than 20 games this season. They should save him for the end of the season

Kyrie Irving is not a top ten player yet. He has to be able to stay healthy and learn how to play defense. There's no doubt of his offense ability.

Lots of national praise this week (especially after Wednesday's opener) for the Cavs. This is an example......

 

NBA PM: Cavs Scarier With Healthy Bynum

By Alex Kennedy

Senior NBA Writer

 

It had been over one year and five months – 528 days to be exact – since Andrew Bynum last played in an NBA game. His last appearance was in his final game with the Los Angeles Lakers, a playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 21, 2012.

 

AndrewBynum_InsideOnly1Since then, Bynum has been on two more teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. While he failed to play any games for the 76ers last season due to injuries, he made his debut as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in the team’s season opener against the Brooklyn Nets.

 

It was somewhat of a surprise to see Bynum back on the court, since he sat out for the entire preseason and was cleared to play just hours before tip-off in Cleveland. However, he wanted to get back out on the court as soon as possible, and he was thrilled to be playing again.

 

Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-cavs-scarier-with-healthy-bynum#cMeiqCL0HJKQQflq.99

Kyrie Irving is not a top ten player yet. He has to be able to stay healthy and learn how to play defense. There's no doubt of his offense ability.

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9858020/2013-nba-player-rankings-8

 

Of course there is always room for personal opinion.  I was referrring to general consensus and, under that lens, there is absolutely no doubt that Kyrie is either in the Top 10 or right in that area.  You'd be hard pressed to pick 10 players over him.  LBJ and Durant, for sure.  Maybe CP3 as well.  Really any other players would be up for debate...... Harden, Westbrook, Rose, Melo, Love, Howard, Curry, Rondo, Randolph.... Wade and Kobe depending on health.  That's 15, including Kyrie.  I can't think of anyone else at the moment who could arguably be ranked ahead of him.

 

Who are the 10 players you would clearly rank ahead of Kyrie to support the definitive statement that Kyrie is "not a top 10 player yet"?  Keep in mind that if you are not going to take into account future potential (which would most likely place him in the top 5) you can't consider past performance - Dirk, Duncan, KG.  We are talking the here and now..... NBA season 2013-14

I'm skeptical about Bynum...mostly because of what some national talking heads are saying about what they hear from sources about his knees.  I just think the Cavaliers need to be mentally prepared for the possibility that he may not be available at some point during the season.

I'm skeptical about Bynum...mostly because of what some national talking heads are saying about what they hear from sources about his knees.  I just think the Cavaliers need to be mentally prepared for the possibility that he may not be available at some point during the season.

 

You don't think they are prepared? If they weren't mentally prepared, they would have given him a max contract.

I'm happy with what I saw, but I can't place a lot of stock in Bynum. Not because he won't be willing to work and play his role, but because of his knees. They said on the radio today that his ligaments are completely shot, and they're hoping that they can build up the muscle in his legs enough to make up the difference.

 

That's the medical equivalent of duct tape and bailing wire. Those knees are done, and I can't rely on him to get more than 20 games this season. They should save him for the end of the season

 

Until I see some medical documentation supporting this, I'm not buying.  These sports talkers are in business to speculate, excite or create angst amongst listeners.  So until I read (quoting a medical professional) info supporting your theory, I'm going to continue to believe Bynum's on the mend and can possibly achieve a complete recovery.

Hts,

 

If we talking here and now, here's where I place him. I think you also need to factor in durability. I agree that after the top two, things get a lot more murkier:

 

1. James

2. Durante

3. Paul

4. Parker

5. Harden

6. Westbrook

7. Curry

8. George

9. Howard

10. Anthony

11. Wade

12. Duncan

13. Irving

 

I guess you're right. Once I started looking at it, there isn't many players would put ahead of him. I also agree that he has top 5 potential.

I've seen about enough of Bennett.

I've seen about enough of Bennett.

 

I'm willing to give any rookie some time to grow, especially one who was out of shape in camp due to injury.  That said, the kid looks clueless, and he's jacking up 3s that you know Mike can't stand... In 2 games he still hasn't scored an NBA field goal.  It's only 2 games, but you'd hope the No. 1 pick would show you more than this.

Yeah, well Irving couldn't hit anything tonight in Charlotte. Fred McLeod said Kyrie's arm was hurting him or something like that.

 

BTW, if you hold a team to 90 points, you should win -- except when you shoot only 38% from the floor. Then you deserve to lose, and the Cavs got what they deserved.

^^TT didn't look much better at the beginning of his rookie season.  Hell.... he didn't look much better at the start of last season.  Buy yeah, AB needs to come back down to earth and learn that he will never reach All-Star status trying to be the next Steve Novak.  He looks flustered right now.  We haven't seen any of the talent and athleticism which made him the #1 pick. We will.  He's very 'green.'  It is going to take some patience... especially playing in Mike Brown's system.

 

Speaking of playing flustered, Dion needs to chill.  He has to stop worrying about the refs and just play.

 

I love CJ, but I'm not falling for the trap.  When we signed him, I saw several comments by Utah fans calling him a "tease"..... in that he was always having random games or streaks of games in which he seemed to be finally developing into a legit starter (something I fear may prove true with Dion over time).  Plus, he's in a contract year.  He's still relatively young, but I foresee a productive future for him in his present role as a scorer off the bench.

I'm skeptical about Bynum...mostly because of what some national talking heads are saying about what they hear from sources about his knees.  I just think the Cavaliers need to be mentally prepared for the possibility that he may not be available at some point during the season.

 

You don't think they are prepared? If they weren't mentally prepared, they would have given him a max contract.

 

I mean his teammates.  I guess my point is that even if he shows flashes of his old self at times during the season I think that they have to be careful about expecting to rely on that down the stretch and hopefully heading into the playoffs.

I love CJ, but I'm not falling for the trap.  When we signed him, I saw several comments by Utah fans calling him a "tease"..... in that he was always having random games or streaks of games in which he seemed to be finally developing into a legit starter (something I fear may prove true with Dion over time).  Plus, he's in a contract year.  He's still relatively young, but I foresee a productive future for him in his present role as a scorer off the bench.

 

Yep, that's all CJ is and I fear the same for Waiters.

2 views of the Bobcats’ loss last night:

 

GLASS HALF FULL

- We took a major punch early, got up off the mat and made it a fight down the end by (finally) engaging in the choking-off D Mike Brown preaches.

- We got 2 points from our starting shooting guard, Dion, and a combined 1 point from our small forwards, and STILL made it a close game.

- Bynum is still rusty, but played more minutes, is moving fluidly (as he did in LA) and still had an impact on the game.

- Tristan Thompson – in my book, he’s the story of the season right now; far exceeding my expectations… last night he gave us 21 and 10 DESPITE being in foul trouble.

- Kyrie’s elbow was hurt in the 4th quarter which is why he missed all his shots, including 2 key FTs down the stretch.

- CJ Miles has finally found his niche on this team, and obviously, can be deadly.

- Jack once again, bailed out the woeful early guard play and jump started our resurgence keeping us competitive in the game.

- Despite the bad stuff (like Bennett), it’s only the 2nd game, and in both we were competitive and led to close, entertaining conclusions.

 

GLASS HALF EMPTY

- Charlotte, a team that's supposed to be behind us, has beaten us 3 straight times (including the 2 meaningless preseason games)

- Al Jefferson didn’t play, and yet the B-Cats were in control practically all game.

- Kemba Walker continued (since preseason) to make folks wonder whether Kyrie really is the top, young point guard talent in the East.

- If Charlotte was even decent at the Foul Line, the game wouldn’t have been close

- Charlotte attacked the basket at will most of the game (until the 4th), which either resulted in points in the  paint or shooting fouls (which is why they were in the bonus early every quarter, and our key guys were in foul trouble).

- We got 2 points from our starting shooting guard, Dion, and a combined 1 point from our small forwards.

- HURT ALREADY!!?? Kyrie’s elbow was hurt in the 4th quarter.

- Bennett, the No. 1 pick, is clueless and still has ZERO field goals despite throwing up seemingly 100 shots.

- Despite his strong showing in game 1, Alonzo Gee reverted into the disappearing act he showed many times last year and reminds us, still, of the gaping hole at small forward that remains in the 4th season after You-Know-Who stiffed us.

-  Andy (no FGs) was a non-factor last night.

 

 

I'm not sure what is up with Kyrie's shot.  He hasn't been himself in terms of getting the ball to fall in somehow someway since he came back from injury late last season.  If Kyrie is Kyrie, we win against Charlotte. 

 

Indiana is really tough.... very reminiscent of those Miami and NYK teams from the 90's that would just beat the sh!t out of you.  I predict they will finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference and give Miami all it can handle in the playoffs again.

 

Yep, that's all CJ is and I fear the same for Waiters.

 

CJ is 27 or 28, I believe.  He came into the league straight out of HS, so he is a vet at this point.  Dion is still very young.  I understand the fear, and hold it myself to a degree.  But we still have another year or two to know what Dion is going to be.  When he calms down and plays under control, you can see that he does stuff that CJ simply can't. 

 

For comparison's sake, take a look at James Harden... who might be the best SG in the league at the moment.  His first two years in the league he averaged 9.9ppg 40%FG and 12.2ppg 43%FG.  Dion averaged 14.7ppg 41%FG his rookie year.  After his first two years, a lot of people were saying that Harden was a bust as the #3 overall pick.... especially after seeing several guards chosen after him - Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, DeMar Derozen, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison - all having much more successful starts to their careers.  Harden's averages then went up to 17ppg and 26ppg in his third and fourth years as a pro.  Besides Curry, there is no argument that Harden is head and shoulders above the rest of those players from his draft class.

 

Dion's #1 obstacle right now is his feud with the refs.  He whines about calls he shouldn't get and, consequently, doesn't get the calls he should get.  He then gets flustered and stops playing with that swagger which makes him stand out.  It's getting worse, too.  He's seems to have been black listed by the refs.  He's getting called for the slightest ticky-tack fouls and isn't getting the whistle on the other end unless it is totally blatant.  Lebron faced a bit of this early in his career.  I am not sure what turned it around for him (it certainly wasn't that he just shut up and played), but I doubt Dion can count on the same intervening forces.  He just needs to shut up and play.

Right now, Kyrie Irving is not giving us the type of point guard play that we need and what we expected.  That's a big part of our problem right now... In the 1st 2 games, our guard play had to be "rescued" by 9-year vet Jarrett Jack... As much as I like Jack and love the pickup by Grant this summer, this scenario should not be.  Kyrie was the Rookie of the Year and a much praised All Star last year.  But he's shooting the ball poorly and turning the ball over way too much... and, of course, we know he's been hurt every year of his career dating to high school.

 

And the scary thing is that other point guards with other teams are leading their teams better than Kyrie... We don't even have to talk about Derrick Rose, who though still somewhat rusty (you'd expect that after 1+ years not being on the court), but we KNOW what he can do to lift the already strong Bulls...

 

Turns out it wasn't just a preseason fluke that Charlotte's Kemba Walker blew by and outclassed Kyrie in preseason ... he didn't again Friday when it counts; and of course, Kyrie got yet another "bye" in the 4th quarter because his elbow was "hurting" --which is why he hit no FGs and blew a pair of key Free Throws... 

 

Look at Philly, who we fact home-and-home next weekend.  PG Michael Carter-Williams, an 11th round (Syracuse) choice this year, is lighting it up in Philly, who is now 3-0 having both Miami and the Bulls heads on their mantelpiece... and in the opener against the Heat, MCW nearly had a quadruple double with 26 points (including 9 steals)... He's right now looking like Kyrie Irving is supposed to look... oh, and did I note that MCW is 6'6" to Kyrie's (alleged) 6'3", which is more like 6'2"...

 

Again, it's only 3 games into the season and I'm neither panicking nor trying to develop and anti-Kyrie screed.  But we do have a small sampling of the season and we/Mike Brown sees what needs to be done and ... reality.  The reality is that while Chris Grant made a number of nice moves and made us better ... SO DID EVERYBODY ELSE.  ie Charlotte, who basically whipped us WITHOUT star center Al Jefferson -- forget the final score and late game ties, Charlotte was in control of that game from the time of the Cavs' only lead in the game 3-2. 

 

And yes, I'm getting a tad concerned that we may have blown the No. 1 draft pick with Bennett... concerned, but not  panicked... Yes, that Bennett; who after 3 games and significant playing time, has yet, at 6'8" and a huge body, to score a single FG... yesterday he even blew a break away open court layup.  We keep hearing that he's out of shape and winded based on his summer shoulder injury... Really?  Why is that?  He's had basically all of preseason, the extra week before the regular games, and now, a nearly a week into the season and our prize draft pick is STILL out of shape, shooting up crazy shots and still getting winded... We're getting zilch from our 3s (Earl Clark has given us next to nothing so far) and, does that mean that we must pray that Andrew Bynum, the All Star center with (we hope formerly) banged up knees is going to have to rescue us????

 

Tomorrow we face and early test for this season: the Kevin Love T-Wolves, who blew out OKC Friday and who we've had trouble with for several seasons.  We're at home... If we lose, we will be 1-3 and on a 3-game losing streak, which won't be good for the morale of a young team.  And, as noted, we twice face a Philly team that has exploded out of the gate and is unexpectedly brimming with confidence.... Mike's clearly got his hands full and needs to turn this young ship around, ... starting tomorrow night, lest Byron Scott ends up somewhere smiling and firing up a giant stogie.

 

... but 1st and foremost, he/we need out supposedly superstar guard to step up to the plate which he has not done so far this season (save the nice end of game performance at home against the Nets)....

So yesterday, when we came out of the half and turned the ball over twice in the first minute or so, I changed the channel and didn't look back.

 

I did check the box score this morning, however. Cavs held their last two opponents to 90 and 89 points. At lease one of those should have been wins rather than losing both by 21 points total. Of course, shooting below 40 percent will usually mean losses.

So yesterday, when we came out of the half and turned the ball over twice in the first minute or so, I changed the channel and didn't look back.

 

I did check the box score this morning, however. Cavs held their last two opponents to 90 and 89 points. At lease one of those should have been wins rather than losing both by 21 points total. Of course, shooting below 40 percent will usually mean losses.

 

Mike was happy with our D yesterday, and our O, believe it or not.  We did hold powerful Indy about 5 points below their avg, and Brown liked our passing.  We just couldn't shoot. 

That's all it is at this point.... shots not falling, especially for Kyrie.  3 games, however, is WAY too small a sample size to be overly concerned.

That's all it is at this point.... shots not falling, especially for Kyrie.  3 games, however, is WAY too small a sample size to be overly concerned.

 

I don't know...shots not falling is a big part of it, no doubt.  And shots not falling can affect you mentally.  But there seems to be something missing so far.  He has been slipping when he goes to cut a lot, and that's unusual for him.  I don't know if he's just finding wet spots on the floor, if there's something wrong with his shoes, but he looks as like he doesn't always have his footing, unlike his usual graceful self.  Also, he looks to possibly be a step slower.  Maybe it's related to his footing, maybe I'm imagining it, or maybe it's due to him bulking up a little bit.  (I don't care what strength and conditioning people say, putting on some pounds, even if it's all muscle, will often times take away a little bit of quickness.)

I think there may be something to the thought that the extra bulk is affecting his game, but nothing I don't think he will adjust to.

 

To clear up something up thread, Michael Carter-Williams was the 11th overall pick in the first round..... not an 11th round pick.  And if he keeps up this level of play, you can feel free slap my face and call me Sally.  He was one of the top PGs in the draft for a reason, but he is not THIS good.  And please stop with the Kemba bandwagon.  He is what he is.... a very good sparkplug type as a vastly undersized SG.  He is a notch below Kyrie.  That much has been established over their first two years in the league, even though Kemba was a four year college player and Kyrie played 11 games at Duke.

That's all it is at this point.... shots not falling, especially for Kyrie.  3 games, however, is WAY too small a sample size to be overly concerned.

 

A friend of mine who is a season ticket holder and played some hoops when he was younger feels the same as you. He thinks the Cavs shooting will come around.