Thursday, January 8, 2015

Cavaliers trade for Timofey Mozgov

I watched most of the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Houston Rockets and could give a review on it,but instead of spending time reviewing a game played by a Cavalier team that will not resemble the Cleveland team that will take the floor for the playoffs,We'll write about something else

So instead,we move to the latest move by Cavaliers GM David Griffin in attempting to fix the biggest hole on the roster-a big man to protect the rim and add a little scoring from the low post.

The Cavaliers sent the number one pick that they just obtained from Oklahoma City a few days ago along with a first rounder that was originally the Memphis Grizzlies to the Denver Nuggets in return for said big man-7'1 Timofey Mozgov
Mozgov is averaging a nick over eight points and a hair under eight boards a game in Denver,but more importantly brings the defender and shot blocker that the team so badly needed.
Mozgov averages over a block a game and for the first time in years,Cleveland has a big body to defend the lane and hold down the fort in the low post defensively.

Mozgov hits 50 percent of his shots,so this is not a three point shooting lightweight,he'll park himself down low and on this Cavaliers team,I would not be surprised to see him become a "10 and 10" guy just off opportunities that he wouldn't have as often as a Nugget.

Timofey Mozgov is 28,but doesn't seem to have as much tread off his legs as you'd think as in his tenure in the league,only last year and the current season has he averaged more than twenty minutes a game,so this is not a player worn down by others.
Right after news of this trade cut loose,a friend of mine immediately sent me a message asking about two number ones for Mozgov  and what I thought.

Well,here goes-I'm fine with it.
Mozgov fills a hole on the teams most glaring need,adds size and toughness,has a cap friendly contract (Face it,Cleveland wasn't signing a player like this in the off-season) and Mozgov will not be a free agent until after next season.
Was I thrilled about two number one draft picks?
Not really,but keep in mind that both picks are lottery protected and the Cavaliers are certainly in win now mode.

Is Timofey Mozgov a player worth two number one's?
Certainly not by the standards of thirty years ago or even by the standards of MLB or NFL,but in the era of the "protected" draft pick and the restrictions of the salary cap,I don't think that the cost was excessive when you consider the desperation of the Cavaliers.
Cleveland is injury riddled right now and even in January,needs to consider playoff seeding.
I'm not saying that things are in emergency mode by far,but the rash of injuries have left the Cavaliers six games behind the first place Bulls at this point and the arrival of Mozgov with the return of LeBron James will hopefully set them up for a run that will see them approach Chicago for the all important home court playoff advantage,

We may look back at this trade and the additions of Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith as the moves that changed Cleveland's roster for the final time and added the toughness,defense and off bench scoring that put them over the top,but you cannot say that the Cavaliers haven't tried to put things in place.
The question is-did they get it right?
Talk to me in five months.....





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