Cavaliers season ends and off season thoughts

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost game six last night and lost the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors in a game that I didn't watch,but listened to on XM radio.

As I said on Monday's podcast,the lovely Cherie and I already had plans and I wasn't breaking them for what would have been a guaranteed loss had we stayed home to watch the game.

Since I didn't watch the game,I'm not going to do bullet points for the game,but I'll offer a few thoughts on the series and the future of the team...

I thought Golden State was a deserving winner and I'm not saying that a full strength Cleveland team would have won the series,but it sure would have been fun to watch.
Look back at game one and that type of play and compare to the grind it out,slow it down tempo thereafter.
I don't blame Cleveland for doing that,it was their only chance to win,but this could have been such an entertaining series.
We all missed out on that.

I will differ with Andre Iguodala as MVP though.
Jerry West won the 1969 finals MVP in a losing effort,I thought LeBron James was equally as deserving in this series.
I know that fans/media don't like to give the losing player the MVP,but this was a rare time when it was deserved...

Had to laugh at the post-game press conference when Klay Thompson referred to Stephen Curry as "the best player in the world" in a dig at James.
Consider this-trade places and put Curry on the Cavaliers and James on the Warriors.
How long does this series last? GSW in four blowouts.
LeBron James is easy to dislike and frankly,I'm still not 100% a fan,but denying that he is the best player in the world is myopic and allowing your dislike to get the better of you.
Stephen Curry may be the best shooter in the world,but there is more to this game than shooting.
Much more.

Steve Kerr was very classy in his victory as he credited Cleveland with a great season and mentioned the injuries with how things could have been different had they been healthy.
Wish I could have said the same for Alvin Gentry,Warrior assistant that is now headed for New Orleans as their head coach.
Gentry offered this "We just kicked everyone's ass playing the way everyone complained about".
Not at 100% you didn't, Alvin and good luck installing this in New Orleans-considering your coaching record of 2 winning seasons in 12 years and one year with over 40 wins,unless Anthony Davis turns into Galactus,I don't think we'll be worrying about seeing you again anytime soon.

Now we move to the off-season and what could be some shaking up.
The huge question is does Kevin Love return and if not,who replaces him and how much do I link to this article on the gamble of dealing Andrew Wiggins?
Seriously,this is the number one question,Love took longer to jell than expected,but was playing very well when his season ended.
Kevin Love's status needs to be addressed and quickly,so in the event that he does leave,the Cavaliers need to be in a position to add a quality replacement.
Tristan Thompson's contract will have to be improved and a similar decision will have to be made on Iman Shumpert as both players were on qualifying offers as is Matthew Dellavedova.
You could bring back all three,but with Thompson in line for a huge raise,the Cavaliers could be hindered in making additions for a badly needed outside shooter.
J.R.Smith and Mike Miller each have player options for next season.
I'd expect Miller to take his 2.8 million option to stay,but Smith might decide to test the market.
Do the Cavaliers go after him to keep him in the fold? Or do they look at him as too inconsistent and use his over six million number with the Shawn Marion money from his retirement and combine those with the over ten million that the team gets back from Brendan Haywood's deal to add a elite shooter?

The draft is just eight days away,Cleveland picks 24th in the first and has Portland's second rounder at 53.
Could Cleveland use the Haywood space to move up for higher pick?
Could they trade this for a role player (preferably a shooter)?
One would think the team is looking for shooters,but someone with offensive skills at shooting guard would be a nice add off the bench.
Draft Express does their mock draft by talent,not by matching team to player and they have 6'8 Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell as their 24th rated player.
I doubt Harrell would be a match for the Cleveland needs.
Bleacher Report has the Cavaliers taking Justin Anderson at 24.
Anderson is a 6'6 forward from Virginia that Draft Express has rated at 25 overall.
Both players are juniors and are likely more refined than the average one and done.
Speaking of one and done,I really like the skills of UNLV freshman guard Rashad Vaughn,who would be a nice addition shooting wise,but being just 19 might not be the type of player to step in and make an impact.

The Cavaliers put up a gallant effort and I'm proud of my team.
It's easy to say that after a loss,but I truly am.
Wait til next year is a often used cliche',but for the first time in like forever-I believe in it....

Cavaliers falter late in Game five loss

LeBron James finished with 40 points,14 rebounds and 11 assists and it still wasn't enough to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Golden State Warriors in game five of the NBA Finals as Golden State grabbed a 104-91 win after a late fourth quarter run.
LeBron did receive some help from Tristan Thompson with 19 points and 10 rebounds,but little else and that showed...
Game six is in Cleveland Tuesday night as the Cavaliers attempt to fight off elimination...

Swashbucklings

1) A shorter version of this than normal as I discussed some of the game on the podcast,but I would repeat this-If the top criticism you have of LeBron James is that he's a one man team-then you need to learn the game a bit.
This isn't the type of game that James wants to play,it's the type that he has to in order to give Cleveland any chance at all...

2) J.R. Smith started hot in the first half (finished with 15 points),but scored none in the second half.
Must have someone sinking some shots from the outside to free the paint a bit.

3) Timofey Mozgov was a casualty of the small Warrior lineup and played just nine minutes and attempted one shot (a miss).
I understand David Blatt's reasoning in going small and figuring Mozgov couldn't keep up,but I disagree with it a little.
Blatt could have tried (at least a portion of the game) and see if Mozgov couldn't be effective down low,force Steve Kerr into putting Andrew Bogut into the game to effectively change the dynamic.
Not saying that would have worked,but I would have liked to have seen the attempt.

4) I did like the decent few minutes that the team got out of Mike Miller,Miller wasn't terrific,but did hit a three pointer in his only shot and wasn't awful.
In other words-he did all you could have hoped for-some time on the floor that was not a liability.

5) This depleted Cavalier team has fought hard and with honor,but it appears the strain on them has emptied the tank.
A win in Cleveland would not surprise me with a another superhuman game from LeBron,but that even may be too much.
All things considered-Wait til Next Year might not be such a bad thing...

Flat Cavaliers rolled by Warriors in Game 4

The Cleveland Cavaliers looked like a tired and flat team,but made a third period run to pull within 3 points of the Golden State Warriors at the Quicken Loans Arena.
Quarter four was all Golden State as the Warriors crushed any hope of a comeback and tied the series at two games each with a resounding 103-82 win.
Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with a career high 28 points to go with 10 rebounds,while LeBron James finished with 20 points on 7 for 22 shooting.
Game 5 will be Sunday night in Oakland.

Swashbucklings

1) Let's start with about the only good news to come out of last night's game-Timofey Mozgov's 28 points.
Mozgov cannot be expected to put those (or anything approaching) numbers every night,but Mozgov showed an ability to clean up the mess down low and generally dominated the Warrior inside men.
It would be interesting to see if David Blatt runs a few plays for Mozgov Sunday night...

2) LeBron James was not himself (as noted above) and the Cavaliers do not have the luxury of James being anything other than superhuman.
It's not knocking James,everyone has off nights-Cleveland just cannot afford even average games from James at this point.

3) J.R.Smith was just abysmal.
2 of 12 and 0 for 8 from downtown?
That spells abysmal.
If the basket was Lake Erie,Smith would have clanged the shot off the Great Lake Science Center.

4) Not that Iman Shumpert was much better.
Shumpert also hit two whole shots,his off of nine attempts and one went in from beyond the arc.
Whoo Hoo.

5) Tristan Thompson was solid enough with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
I know the playoff cliche' is that Thompson has built value for his next contract,but if Cleveland looks at the film and builds Thompson and Timofey Mozgov with a little more low post action with patterned plays,Cleveland could give LeBron James the help that he's not getting from J.R. Smith...

6) Expecting what the Cavaliers have gotten from Matthew Dellavedova every night is unfair to Dellavedova,but he wasn't very good last night.
I can give him a small pass considering his condition and hospitalization for leg cramping,but....
Too many floating lunges at the rim and desperation tosses made me think that either the Cavalier desperation forced the hand or Delly is starting to think he's an offensive force-Think in the way Ollie suddenly thought he was a player in Hoosiers...

7) I also thought the Cavaliers might have tried a bench player earlier in the fourth quarter as the game was slipping away.
Don't get me wrong-Shawn Marion,Joe Harris,Mike Miller or Kendrick Perkins wouldn't have won this game,but they might have been effective and maybe helped even for just a few minutes to rest some aching players in the final three games.
David Lee worked himself off the Golden State bench in the same situation,perhaps Cleveland could have profited by a similar move..

8) This was a tired bunch of Cavaliers and I have this feeling that the Cavs might have blown their best shot to win this.
Now it's a best of three series with two games in Oakland,so they'll have to steal another game there.
I'm not ruling it out,but the championship took a blow last night.

Cavaliers hold off Warrior rally-win Game 3!

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first ever home game in the NBA Finals and more importantly took a two to one series lead over the Golden State Warriors after a 96-91 at Quicken Loans Arena.
LeBron James led all scorers with 40 points and Matthew Dellavedova added a surprising 20 more to lead Cleveland to the win.

Cleveland dominated the game as they built a 20 point lead in the third quarter,but the Warriors came alive in the fourth period and cut the lead as close as just one point,but could get no closer.
Game 4 takes place back at the Q Thursday night at 9,where the Cavaliers will attempt to hold home court...

Swashbucklings

1) What more can you say about Matthew Dellavedova?
Diving on the floor,hitting some of the ugliest shots that you'll ever see from a pro player and other than some of the fourth quarter,shutting off the high scoring Stephen Curry from being the MVP force that he was in the regular season.

2) The concern for the Cavaliers,who are already injury riddled,is can they continue to keep this together using super glue and duck tape to get two more wins?
Iman Shumpert left the game after seeming to injure the same shoulder that kept him out for six weeks earlier this season and despite his return,one has to be concerned about that and....

3) Matthew Dellavedova left the arena and headed to the hospital with severe cramping in both legs.
Dellavedova has been the surprising breakout star of this series,but how much can his frantic style be cutting into his health?
And could Cleveland get two more wins without him???

4) LeBron James is doing this with mirrors and deception as James is averaging more than 40 points a game in the finals,but he is doing it with a bizarre stat line with a low shooting percentage such as last night's 14 for 34.
James is playing well and considering the way that this series has to be played,one couldn't logically expect a high shooting percentage-but imagine if you could!

5) What a crowd last night!
I've always told my friends (especially one noted Steeler fan) that it is the Cleveland fan that is the best fan in sports.
We watch some of the worst teams sports has to offer and give us even a playoff team and the town goes nuts!
That arena was rocking last night and the hype before game one about Oracle Arena being so loud (it was and their fans are great as well)-The Q was louder.
What an environment to play in!

6) The fourth quarter was scary though and it makes you wonder just what is waiting tomorrow night.
Stephen Curry finally woke up and hit some unbelievable bombs from sonar range and if that is any indication-this series is far from over and you'll hear no crowing from this corner yet!

7) The vice like defense that the Cavaliers are putting on Golden State is the basketball version of what the Browns hope to be doing-keep the tempo slow,be physical,don't allow Golden State to run the fast break and break the rhythm team's rhythm.
It may not be pretty,but it is the only way Cleveland wins this series...

8) The bench may not have been a huge help,but J.R.Smith and James Jones each knocked down two three pointers and Mike Miller went flying across the floor to keep a loose ball in play.
You take what you can get and I still think for Cleveland to win two more games,J.R.Smith is going to have to have one of those "Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson type of games like he did against the Hawks...

9) If Iman Shumpert is able to play through the pain of his shoulder,he still will not be 100 percent obviously and could someone fill in for at least a few minutes?
Could this be the time for Shawn Marion to summon up a blast from the past and provide a few key spots?
The aging "Matrix" has been a bit of a disappointment in Cleveland,but he's had a great career and deserves a chance for one last stand...

10) Can the Cavaliers pull this off?
Yes,but in my opinion only with a win Thursday night at the Q.
If Golden State wins and makes this a best of 3 series,then I lean Warriors.
If Cleveland can win and go up 3-1,I doubt that the best player in the world is going to be beaten three games in a row.

Cavaliers snare Game 2 in OT!

Matthew Dellavedova hit two free throws with ten seconds to go in overtime to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a lead that they would hold through two Golden State possessions to earn a 95-93 win and tie the NBA Finals at a game apiece.
LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 39 points,16 rebounds and 11 assists with Timofey Mozgov offering the main support with 17 points and 11 boards.
Game three is Tuesday in Cleveland.

Swashbucklings

1) I can feel better about saying this since the Cavaliers won because a loss would make this read as sour grapes-
This game was officiated terribly.
Just beyond awful.
LeBron James has to be the star player that gets fewer calls than anyone I can remember.
James can get killed on the way to the basket and no foul and yet Michael Jordan in his day could be breathed on from ten feet away and get a call.

2) That is why I think the Cavaliers have a real chance of somehow pulling this series out.
The NBA has to have noticed last night and I would guess that James will get plenty of calls for at least the next 2 games if not more...

3) When the Cavaliers lost Kyrie Irving,it was clear that someone would have to step up and it was Matthew Dellaavedova,who hit some key shots along with the winning free throws,but just as importantly harassed Stephen Curry to a 5 of 23 shooting night.
Can the Australian do this for the rest of the series?
Cleveland will need for him to at least approach the play of game two in order to win,but last night was a great start...

4) The win was not only the first ever Finals win for the franchise (They were swept in their only other appearance) it was the first in league history for a team to win a game without two of their top three scorers.
That is hard to believe,but not as hard as believing this situation...

5) Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson are controlling the boards in this series.
The pair have combined for 47 rebounds in two games and I've seen little evidence of the Warriors being able to turn that around.

6) Thompson will need to do better than 0 for 5 from close range though in order to give the Cavaliers some dirty baskets around the rim.
Mozgov is doing that well,Thompson needs to add to the total.

7) This was not the Cavaliers team that entered the playoffs.
That run,gun and fun team has left the building,but the team that won last night was a throwback to the shove,walk and bump teams of the 90's.
Ugly Eastern Conference basketball won this night.
It wasn't pretty,but W's often aren't.

8) J.R.Smith scored 13 points off the bench,but he fouled out with several of the fouls being so very dumb.
Smith is key right as a true scorer,he is the second best one on the team right now.
Cleveland needs him on the floor.

I'll try to be back later with a inbox cleaning

Cavaliers lose Game One in OT

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their ups and down in game one of the NBA Finals,but had the ball and a chance to win,but a LeBron James shot went awry and Iman Shumpert's followup just missed and in the extra session,the Golden State Warriors took command and cruised to a 108-100 victory.
LeBron James led Cleveland with 44 points and Kyrie Irving added 23,but only Timofey Mozgov's 16 reached more than double digits among the remainder of the Cavaliers.
Game two will be Sunday back at Oakland's Oracle Arena...

Swashbucklings

1) The biggest news was the loss of Kyrie Irving to a knee injury that looked pretty bad as he left the arena on crutches,
That's too bad as the chances of winning this series decreased when Irving left the floor limping badly in the overtime.
Irving was 10 of 22 from the floor,but allowed the Cavaliers the one hope to vary from a LeBron-centric offense.
If Irving is finished for the playoffs (and it looked like that might be the case,at least for a while),
someone is going to have at least come close to the point guard's output and I'm not sure who that will be.

2) Yes,LeBron took 38 shots and yes,normally that's way too many for any one player-no matter the name,but he had to and more often than not,the Warriors had no response for James.
The problem is that because he had to do so much work,he clearly wore down later in the game and that looks to be the Golden State strategy-give James his points and realize he is going to have a lot of them,but try to make him tired in crunch time.

3) The play that may have decided this series came with under two minutes to go when Timofey Mozgov's solid footwork around three Warriors in the paint was not rewarded with two points,but with a traveling call.
Replays showed that Mozgov did not travel and those two points meant the difference in a Cleveland regulation win and a trip to overtime.
That trip to extra sessions led to the Kyrie Irving injury.
It's rare that you truly can circle one bad call as the reason for a lost game,let alone a lost series-you might be able to say that on this occasion.

4) The Cavaliers are going to need more from the bench period,but especially J.R.Smith,who shot an anemic 3 for 13 from the field.
Everyone has bad nights,but with the current situation on the roster-the Cavaliers cannot afford to have too many of those nights from Smith.

5) The difference between these teams is clearly the bench.
Now the Cavaliers missing Kevin Love and others contributes to that,but the Warriors can get quality minutes from 10 players.
Going into next season,the Cavaliers are going to have worry more about adding depth players and less about signing LeBron James's pals.
James Jones didn't score a point in 17 minutes and Shawn Marion along with Mike Miller can't even get off the bench to contribute anything...

6) Tristan Thompson grabbed 15 boards and Timofey Mozgov scored 16 points and eight rebounds,so the Cavaliers weren't totally unsuccessful inside the paint,but the Warriors outrebounded 48-45 and Cleveland is 0-3 in the playoffs when beaten around the rim.
Look for that in game two..

7) David Blatt must have concerns about Matthew Dellavedova's defense matching up against the Warriors as he played just nine minutes and didn't score.
The scrappy Australian doesn't appear to be able to stick with the Stephen Curry's and Klay Thompson's and this looks to be the time that I feared all season-no veteran backup at point guard to bind the Cavaliers through yet another Kyrie Irving injury.

8) I thought Timofey Mozgov needed to bully Andrew Bogut in this series and he did in game one.
Several monster dunks and a 16/8 line against a 4/7 for Bogut.
Win or lose,the trade for Mozgov earlier this year was the key in the Cleveland turnaround..

Back later with a cleaning of the inbox or a boxing challenge for the weekend.

The East belongs to Cleveland!

The Cleveland Cavaliers stamped their ticket to the NBA Finals as they breezed through the Atlanta Hawks in game four of the Eastern Conference finals 118-88 in Cleveland.
LeBron James and his 23 points led six Cavaliers in double figures in the cruise to the title.
Cleveland will either travel to Golden State on June 4th or host Houston depending on the winner of that series with the Warriors currently owning a 3-1 lead....

Swashbucklings

1) There really isn't a ton to write about in a game that was this controlled by one team,but you had to like the killer instinct showed by the Cavaliers.
They outscored Atlanta by 12 in the first period and the Hawks never really made a run after that.
It is always a sign of a charging team when they burst to a lead and can keep the opponent from never threatening.

2) Kyrie Irving scored 16 points in his return to the lineup and looked reasonably healthy.
I still wouldn't have played him in the lineup considering his health and a 3-0 lead,but the gamble paid off.

3) J.R.Smith scored 18 points (4 from three point range) and grabbed a surprising ten boards.
Smith might be having a career year in Cleveland and might not repeat it,but Cleveland has to try to re-sign him,when Smith will likely exercise his player option for free agency.

4) Really liked the Cavaliers working down low to Timofey Mozgov to show off some low post moves.
Those will come in quite handy against Golden State's (presumably) Andrew Bogut and credit to the developing chemistry between Mozgov in the pivot and Tristan Thompson at the four...

5) Now to the likely finals vs Golden State-Key matchup Stephen Curry vs Who?
I think Cleveland might be better putting Iman Shumpert on Curry in a move to put a taller,rangier defender on Curry to put some pressure on him that Kyrie Irving could not...

Back later with another post and I am hoping (fingers crossed) for a podcast tonight....

No Kyrie? No Problem! Cavs cruise over Atlanta in Game 2!

Entering the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals,the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed set for a down outing.
Considering the loss of Kyrie Irving for the evening (if not more) with tendinitis in his knee,the Cavaliers were the underdogs in Atlanta against the Hawks.
LeBron James had other ideas as the King scored 30 points and added 11 assists to go with 9 rebounds and the result was a easier than the score looks 94-82 win.
Iman Shumpert was the second high scorer with 16 for the Cavaliers,who now lead the series 2-0 with game three Sunday night in Cleveland.

Swashbucklings

1) LeBron James showed why he is such a versatile player once again as he was the key ballhandler in the absence of Kyrie Irving.
James and the "point forward" position kept the ball moving and as a result was able to perform well without Irving...

2) Iman Shumpert was the supporting cast member that stood out on this night.
Shumpert,who is more known for his defensive prowess,hit four three pointers and was the outside threat that Cleveland needed in this game.

3) 16 rebounds for Tristan Thompson,who has been the bully in the first two games.
Thompson has been the one player that Atlanta has been unable to do anything with and it's the play of Thompson that has been most vital in cleaning up>

4) The Cavaliers have been forced to become more of a drive to the basket and throw it back to the open shooter.
LeBron James brings that respect to the table,but the capability of Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson to hit from close range has enabled the Hawks to double down inside and leave the open man.
For two games the Cavaliers have been capable enough to take advantage..

5) The win now makes me think of this possibility,if (and it's a big if) Cleveland can take this in the next two games without Kyrie Irving,the gimpy knee could have a total of 15 days of rest.
That would go a long way in getting Irving back for the winner of the Golden State-Houston series in the West....

He's on fire! J.R. Smith leads Cavaliers to Game one win over Atlanta!

J.R.Smith nailed eight three pointers on his way to a 28 point night to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 97-89 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of the Eastern Conference finals in Atlanta.
LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 31 points on the evening,but this night belonged to the mercurial Smith and his lazer-like shooting from beyond the three point arc....
Cleveland will remain in Atlanta for game two Friday night....

Swashbucklings

1) J.R.Smith looked like the second coming of one of my all-time favorites in World B.Free in this one.
Smith was raining threes and they weren't uncontested jumpers either!
Smith had defenders on him and he was still drilling them!
It reminded me of the old NBA Jam video game,where a hot shooter would literally fire up a flame filled basketball from anywhere on the floor and nail the shot with the frenetic announcer screaming HE"S ON FIRE!.
It's a lot to ask to have Smith do that again,but if the Cavaliers can get anything approaching that play...

2) Just your typical LeBron James game (31 pts 8 boards and 6 assists),but the standout to me was that the Hawks were more often than not trying to guard him with Paul Millsap not DeMarre Carroll as expected.
Carroll would get injured in the second half,but if this series comes down to Millsap trying to guard LeBron James-the Cavaliers are headed to the finals....

3) Tristan Thompson is headed for a big payday this off-season,if not from Cleveland from someone else.
Thompson put up a 14 and 10 night and continues the maturation process.
Thompson can be kept if the Cavaliers wish,but keeping him would have been much less costly under the cap had the Cavaliers not foolishly signed the hustling but perpetually injured Anderson Varejao to a long term deal.
It is that deal that will be most harmful to the Cavaliers cap future...

4) Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov rotated at center,with Thompson playing power forward when the two was on the floor.
Cleveland didn't put Kendrick Perkins on the floor at all-a problem?
No.Perkins is more of a bruiser and the Hawks strike me as much more of a finesse' team.
I look for Cleveland to play seven or eight men tops in each game and I think Atlanta will do the same...

5) Kyrie Irving aggravated his bad knee on a third quarter drive and did not return.
Irving finished with ten points and clearly isn't himself,but the often-dinged up Irving is fighting through the pain and one has to give him credit for that.

6) I intended a preview of the series that I didn't have time to do,but Cavaliers in six.
I like the Hawks being a well balanced team patterned after the Spurs,but the Hawks don't have Tony Parker,let alone a Tim Duncan and as long as the Cavaliers can avoid foul issues or  heaven forbid another injury,despite the Hawks better record,Cleveland is the more talented team...