Cavs aiming for a top 3 finishinjuries and preseason, but Cleveland was using a 3 big lineup.
Am I wrong that Al has reworked his 3-point shot since he left? It seems like the release is quicker, where he used to shoot it slower and almost as a set shot. Or maybe it is just my imagination.Keeping Horford healthy/available is going to be huge for this team. He really doesn't look much different from when he was here last. Thank you, OKC for shrink-wrapping him last season. If we can get his past Celtic production, obviously in less mpg, that would be huge for the Jays.
It appears like Ime will play the 2-BIGs lineup, still not a fan of using Al/TL's precious minutes that way.
It looks that way to me as well. Of course, a lot of the shots in that TOR reel are with a man almost in his face, whereas my memories from when he was here last are of a lot of wide open shots from the top of the arc, so maybe just a difference in situation driving that.Am I wrong that Al has reworked his 3-point shot since he left? It seems like the release is quicker, where he used to shoot it slower and almost as a set shot. Or maybe it is just my imagination.
Apparently it worked pretty well for them last night against a CHI team that has been killing people: https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/10/cleveland-cavaliers-unconventional-jumbo-lineup-effective-again-in-102-101-loss-to-chicago-bulls.html.Cavs aiming for a top 3 finish
most of their CAP is dedicated to Love, Markkenanen, Allen, Mobley. do they have any choice?
Calling Markkenan a Center/5 is strictly due to his measured height, he averaged 5.3 reb/gm and .3 blocks/gm last season.Apparently it worked pretty well for them last night against a CHI team that has been killing people: https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/10/cleveland-cavaliers-unconventional-jumbo-lineup-effective-again-in-102-101-loss-to-chicago-bulls.html.
One would think that Markkanen can guard on the perimeter and if so, he, Mobley, and Allen should be able to work. Also, he's going to a match-up problem on the other end for most teams. In 26 minutes last night, Markkanen scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-14 from the field and 2-of-5 from 3-point range to go with four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in 26 minutes. And this is against a CHI team that last year Brad noted how long they were and how their length and athleticism gave BOS fits. (Good thing BOS is longer this year too.)
Note also that Rubio called the lineup with Markkanen at the 3 "the best defensive lineup" he's ever played with.
Of course it is preseason . . . .
it does look quicker and Al has more confidence shooting the 3Am I wrong that Al has reworked his 3-point shot since he left? It seems like the release is quicker, where he used to shoot it slower and almost as a set shot. Or maybe it is just my imagination.
Not sure I agree. We know what Pritchard can do when he's got carte blanche to shoot and run the game. I think the best think for Pritchard would be playing with the guys he's going to have to play with all season.Nice opportunity for Pritchard. No backup PG, and no ballhandling wings, really.
I actually think Pritchard is almost to a known-quantity role player. He's going to get some minutes off the bench, he's going to take threes, including long threes, and he's going to hit them at a high enough percentage to justify his minutes.Not sure I agree. We know what Pritchard can do when he's got carte blanche to shoot and run the game. I think the best think for Pritchard would be playing with the guys he's going to have to play with all season.
Pritchard going 5-9 from deep tomorrow and scoring 28 points simply because there are no other options isn't really what will help him.
Summer League redux!Nesmith and Langford should be getting some burn too. Probably see a bit of Bruno.
I think "#46" needs to do a little less work on his arms and a bit more on that waistline.
That's just how Aron Baynes is built!I think "#46" needs to do a little less work on his arms and a bit more on that waistline.
Wasn’t someone saying Romeo wouldn’t even be competing for monitors the other day? I’m having trouble seeing how you can keep him out of the rotation but as I said I’m the other thread I don’t trust Ime from what I’ve seen so far. Yeah, I got some push back a month ago for saying Arcidiocono was not close to being NBA timber but I’ve watched more of him than I’d like to admit when he was a Bull……and I have no idea how they kept giving him opportunities. He’s in way over his head in this league.Romeo and Aaron looked damn good tonight, albeit at very different things.
Couldn't stop watching Hampton though. Don't remember who was in love with that kid (nighthob iirc), but he looks better than Romeo already at only 20. Similar play style but more swaggy. If his head is right, he's a solid starter in this league imo.
Bamba has improved physically and seems to have improved his shot and likes hunting blocks. Man he dogs possessions though. I'd be scared to death of dropping a big extension on him, even if he buries volume 3s this year.
I am 100% convinced that multiple guys here have played against dudes better than 51. I'm not going to butcher his name, but he had me pining for Tre Waters. I can't believe that he has 200 games in the league.
Ime has given Romeo a lot of run after hiding him a bit in game 1. Playing young guys who are improving rapidly is usually an easy decision for a coach.Wasn’t someone saying Romeo wouldn’t even be competing for monitors the other day? I’m having trouble seeing how you can keep him out of the rotation but as I said I’m the other thread I don’t trust Ime from what I’ve seen so far. Yeah, I got some push back a month ago for saying Arcidiocono was not close to being NBA timber but I’ve watched more of him than I’d like to admit when he was a Bull……and I have no idea how they kept giving him opportunities. He’s in way over his head in this league.
I never thought of Pinson as a point guard, but that's what he played last nite, and he looked worlds better than Archie, who struggled to make basic passes. Pinson reminds me a little of Wanamaker, though he doesn't have Brad's 3-point shot.Theo Pinson has that old guy at the Y game too. I just watched the highlights, but good looking efforts from Pritchard and Nesmith especially. Jabari Parker can still get buckets. Kind of a poor man's Carmelo, seems to have added the 3 also.
Romeo, Nesmith, Grant will all be battling for wing/bench minutes. The idea of Ime starting Horford/TL and then playing PP with Denis/Kanter has me less than thrilled.Wasn’t someone saying Romeo wouldn’t even be competing for monitors the other day? I’m having trouble seeing how you can keep him out of the rotation but as I said I’m the other thread I don’t trust Ime from what I’ve seen so far. Yeah, I got some push back a month ago for saying Arcidiocono was not close to being NBA timber but I’ve watched more of him than I’d like to admit when he was a Bull……and I have no idea how they kept giving him opportunities. He’s in way over his head in this league.
Hey, solves the whole "who makes the rotation" puzzle...Al and TL are gonna miss time due to old age and fragility. Jaylen is good for a couple of stints off due to tweaks. Add in covid and normal injury luck, and minutes for everyone!3 exhibition games in and we’re already shorthanded. What is it with this team? Lol
They looked fine against a terrible Orlando Magic team. I'm happy that Nesmith, Romeo and Grant can plug in if needed, but I still wouldn't be excited by the prospect of them getting a boatload of minutes.PP, Nesmith, Romeo, and Grant all look minutesworthy. If Richardson can’t make shots, he might become an $11 million towel waver.
Might be a bit of a battle between him and Nesmith for bench shooting. Nesmith seems to offer more at the rim and on hustle, but Pritchard is still the better sniper. We'll see.Much as I loved PP when he first showed up on the scene, I think he's going to get lost on the bench this year. Other than outside shooting, he doesn't do much very well.
Seems to me his ball handling and playmaking have been pretty good in Summer league and preseason. I have hopes that'll carry over to the regular season.Much as I loved PP when he first showed up on the scene, I think he's going to get lost on the bench this year. Other than outside shooting, he doesn't do much very well.
Keep in mind the second unit will only feature all-second-unit types for short stretches. One of Horford, Jaylen, Tatum, Smart, Schroder, or Richardson will probably be out there no matter what. They'll make a concentrated effort to make sure they stagger minutes. It's actually the thing I'm worried about the least: this team has a ton of above-average talent to throw at second-units... unlike last year, where we had to watch Granite, Ojeleye, and whatever other schlock I've repressed give the 1000 yard stare whenever the ball was passed to them.I'm torn on what I'd like to see in the starting lineup. I love the idea of playing with one big (and don't particularly care if it's Horford or Timelord), and Smart/Richardson in the backcourt. That lineup can defend across the board and switch virtually every pick and roll. It has playmakers at every spot, and theoretically, everyone can shoot enough to keep the defense honest (obviously not Williams if it's him at the 5).
The problem is that leaves you with a second unit featuring Schroder in the backcourt along with Pritchard, if Pritchard is going to get regular minutes. And I think he is. That may be defensively untenable. It does minimize the Kanter minutes though, which I think is a good thing. Second unit would be something like Schroder-Pritchard-Nesmith-Juancho-Horford/TL. Sets up nicely for Schroder doing his drive-and-kick to shooters thing, it just might be horrible defensively. Swapping Nesmith in the starting lineup for Richardson is an option.
If they go with two bigs in the starting lineup, there's a real minutes crunch at the wing in the second unit. Schroder, Pritchard, Nesmith, Romeo and Richardson all coming off the bench, fighting for three spots. Plus guaranteed minutes for Kanter most nights. I continue to believe that this is a terrible idea, but it looks increasingly likely to happen.
I think that's right; I would think Udoka would try to go ten deep each night to take advantage of their depth, but it's unlikely that we see many minutes with a complete second unit on the floor, Jim O'Brien style. That's the reason I would lean towards maximizing the starting lineup, which to me means playing with one big and making sure whoever plays the guard spots are switchable defensively. Theoretically, that means Smart and Richardson, but we'll see. If bad-shooting Richardson shows up, that lineup is going to have spacing issues.Keep in mind the second unit will only feature all-second-unit types for short stretches. One of Horford, Jaylen, Tatum, Smart, Schroder, or Richardson will probably be out there no matter what. They'll make a concentrated effort to make sure they stagger minutes. It's actually the thing I'm worried about the least: this team has a ton of above-average talent to throw at second-units... unlike last year, where we had to watch Granite, Ojeleye, and whatever other schlock I've repressed give the 1000 yard stare whenever the ball was passed to them.
I hope we start one big too, but who knows. Hopefully last year was Richardson's nadir as a shooter.I think that's right; I would think Udoka would try to go ten deep each night to take advantage of their depth, but it's unlikely that we see many minutes with a complete second unit on the floor, Jim O'Brien style. That's the reason I would lean towards maximizing the starting lineup, which to me means playing with one big and making sure whoever plays the guard spots are switchable defensively. Theoretically, that means Smart and Richardson, but we'll see. If bad-shooting Richardson shows up, that lineup is going to have spacing issues.
That sounds great on paper but not realistic with any consistency. What happens when Horford comes out 5 min in then TL picks up his 2nd fouls a minute later? Now we have Kanter going up against 1st unit bigs with you’ll need to sub in someone to avoid a Kanter/Tatum 4/5 while still against opp 1st units. Staggering bigs like this puts too many players in awkward situations and takes them out of a regular rotation……and it’s still the 1Q! It’s flat out dumb when you have as many options, most if not all better, as Ime will have access to this year. It’s creating issues that aren’t there.If Horford starts alongside Time Lord, I’d expect him to be the first guy subbed out, followed by him coming back in for Tine Lord when the full bench gets out there.
I could see a bench unit that features Schroder, Horford (familiar with Schroder from ATL days), and Richardson (defense). Maybe Pritchard as a spot up shooter.
Especially when the team looks deep at the 2-4 positions--it's so weird.That sounds great on paper but not realistic with any consistency. What happens when Horford comes out 5 min in then TL picks up his 2nd fouls a minute later? Now we have Kanter going up against 1st unit bigs with you’ll need to sub in someone to avoid a Kanter/Tatum 4/5 while still against opp 1st units. Staggering bigs like this puts too many players in awkward situations and takes them out of a regular rotation……and it’s still the 1Q! It’s flat out dumb when you have as many options, most if not all better, as Ime will have access to this year. It’s creating issues that aren’t there.
Kanter, right now, is a clearly better player than Nesmith, Langford, and Grant. I agree, the best case scenario is one or two of those guys force the issue and make us play smaller, but that’s more about the fact that if they are doing that they’ve established themselves as above average players.Especially when the team looks deep at the 2-4 positions--it's so weird.
I get it against a few teams that you want to put size against and aren't fast enough to punish it, like Milwaukee. But in most cases, you're neutering your biggest strength and emphasizing biggest weakness (Kanter's D).
Hopefully JRich, Nesmith and Langford (and to some degree Grant) force themselves into minutes, since that would make Ime's decision easy.
Nesmith and Langford have looked far superior to Kanter in the preseason. That matters in evaluating young players coming off their first healthy offseasons.Kanter, right now, is a clearly better player than Nesmith, Langford, and Grant.
If Ime wants to hang this team's hat on defense/being switchy then Kanter needs match-up minutes., EK's situational minutes can be very positive so I'm not looking down on Enes, he'll have a role. Just limited.Kanter, right now, is a clearly better player than Nesmith, Langford, and Grant. I agree, the best case scenario is one or two of those guys force the issue and make us play smaller, but that’s more about the fact that if they are doing that they’ve established themselves as above average players.
Where I disagree here is that Kanter’s defense is a problem. I don’t disagree directionally. He’s not a good defensive player. But he isn’t that bad in a regular season role where he isn’t being aggressively schemed for and he does have real positive value on offense and the glass. I’m not at all convinced that we are deeper on the wing than we are when it comes to bigs, particularly from a regular season perspective where Kanter is a perfectly good option in a bench role.
I suspect that’s part of what Ime is thinking. Our roster has 8 proven NBA rotation players. It also has 4 interesting young players and Juancho. Injuries and performance will dictate playing time over the course of the season, but starting with a rotation structure that uses all 8 proven vets makes sense.
I don’t think you can read too much into preseason, particularly for established vets. I’m also not foreclosing the possibility that either or both pass Kanter on the depth chart and I think, if that happens, the rotation will obviously need to be shuffled to accommodate that and my post you responded to expressly indicated that would be the case. There’s definitely going to be stretches this season where Horford or Timelord aren’t playing for health reasons, and those will also present opportunities for the young players to prove that a different rotation is necessary. We don’t need to start the season with the rotation that will be optimal at the end of the season. There’s also locker room management value in starting the season with the vets all having clear and stable spots in the rotation so that if they lose those spots it’s because of the young players clearly stepping up and taking them. Langford and Nesmith are showing a lot of progress, but neither is playing in a way that demands a core rotation spot yet. If Kanter gets played out of the rotation, that will be a really good thing, but I think people here are trying to force it to happen instead of waiting and hoping it will happen. I may be in the minority, but I’m glad that Ime seems to prefer the latter approach.Nesmith and Langford have looked far superior to Kanter in the preseason. That matters in evaluating young players coming off their first healthy offseasons.
The best way to make wrong NBA predictions/evaluations is to ignore when young guys are putting things together because the numbers don't yet support it.
I only have seen Doogie in short spurts but I don’t see any Gordo comp at all. Hayward could play above the rim when he was younger, he could do it all really. Sam strikes me as playing that Kyle Korver pure shooter gameI like Sam Hauser as a 2-way project. He's 6'8" and has a good shot and maybe flashes some other skills. In 12 minutes he had 5 points on 2-6 shooting, which isn;t great, but his shot looks like it is eventually going to fall. In some ways, if you took Gordon Hayward and degraded his talent down to the level of a fringe NBA player, you might have something like Hauser. I'm sure he's ticketed to spend a lot of time in Maine this year, it will be interesting to see how he does there.