Mozgov to the Cavs

[DJ]

Mozgov would be a good backup on a good team.

Starting for the Cavs? Hmmmmm.

 

[GNG]

Solid move for Cleveland. Mozgov has always had solid per36 #'s and should give them much needed size down low. They just got a little bit better.

Nothing will help the Cavs.

 

[GNG]

Mozgov would be a good backup on a good team.

That would leave the Lakers out of the picture.

 

[Mecca]

Mozgov would be a good backup on a good team.

Starting for the Cavs? Hmmmmm.

Well, with him on the court, Love is less of a liability on defense.

As we can see based on today's game, Tristan Thompson has no shot against real Centers.

* luckily there aren't many *

2 quick fouls and he's back to the bench.

Nobody wants to see Kevin Love playing significant minutes at the 5.

So, they need Mozgov.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

The thing is... the Cavs have the 18th pick in the draft as of now. They better start to climb up that chart or they could end up giving a top 20 pick. Either way it's a fair value for him.

 

[wildturkey]

Personally, I don't think Mozgov is all that good but he's an upgrade over what the Cavs have for sure. Just being tall and putting your arms up will be an upgrade for them at this point. The two picks seems high at first glance but its not totally outrageous when you dig deeper. Those picks come from OKC (from the Waiters deal) and Memphis. They're both loaded with protections mostly ensuring that both picks will be in the mid 20s. For a team like Cleveland that is in win now mode because guys like Lebron and/or Love could leave over the next year or two, it's worth it.

And if you look at what that team needed since the start of the year, a center and a 3&D wing, then Cleveland made out pretty darn good. Treat these deals as one and you see that Cleveland turned Dion Waiters into Mozgov (the center), Shumpert (3&D), and JR Smith (can give you exactly what Waiters did).

 

[purguy12]

This should help them. I still don't get how they can make a trade like this while being over the cap.

 

[wildturkey]

This should help them. I still don't get how they can make a trade like this while being over the cap.

Trade exceptions. They had some. You can take in salaries and absorb them into the exception so long as the contracts don't exceed the exception

 

[bksballer89]

This should help them. I still don't get how they can make a trade like this while being over the cap.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

It will take the Cavs a decade to replace the assets that James has cost them.
If he somehow brings a title to Cleveland it's worth it.
When he doesn't, justice will have been served, because Gilbert deserves nothing.

 

[Hambombs]

[MEDIA=twitter]552932746881159170[/MEDIA]

Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket

 

[Mecca]

Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket

No bueno when your basket has an opt-out clause at Season's end

 

[DJ]

No bueno when your basket has an opt-out clause at Season's end

+1

 

[Mecca]

+1

If things don't get better, Love will bolt.

It was a one-man show tonight.

Kyrie did play great.

But, they have to do a better job of getting Kevin involved.

Lebron needs to play point-forward fulltime.

Just take the ball out of Kyrie's hands for most of the game.

 

[DJ]

If things don't get better, Love will bolt.

It was a one-man show tonight.

Kyrie did play great.

But, they have to do a better job of getting Kevin involved.

Lebron needs to play point-forward fulltime.

Just take the ball out of Kyrie's hands for most of the game.

Make him a SG basically?

 

[DJ]

I'll never forget when we said the Cavs should play Irving at SG.

 

[Mecca]

Make him a SG basically?

Like we suggested over the last 2 Seasons

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

This is the problem with Cleveland. They are so desperate to appease Lebron and keep him in town, that they make incredibly short sighted moves for players who just aren't that good. The earlier move sending out dion waiters is another example. This reminds me of the deals they made to get Larry Hughes and Antwan Jamison. It's funny that this move comes when rumor has it that Lebron is not scared to leave again. The cavs front office is a bunch of blockheads.

This is really making me think that Lebron is gone when his contract is up.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Wiggy Russ will claim this is the missing piece!!!!

A. You are dumb

B. Please do not put words in my mouth

To recap- the Cavs traded Dion Waiters and the Memphis pick for Shumpert, Smith and Mozgov

I liked Dion Waiters. I think he has a ton of talent. When it was him and Kyrie as the heads of the team, I thought there is no way you trade this guy. When we got LeBron and Love I thought- Dion would be the PERFECT 6th man- a poor mans James Harden off the bench- IF HE ACCEPTS THE ROLE.

At the beginning of the season he did not accept it and when he was sent to the bench he pouted. After a couple weeks he seemed to be getting more used to the idea of coming off the bench.

As soon as LeBron went down- I thought- GREAT- more shots for Love- we can feature the guy now and get him going. That next game Dion thought it was his right to take practically all of LeBron's shots.

At that point it started becoming clear that Dion Waiters was never going to be satisfied being the 4th option on a team. It simply was not going to happen. While his 3pt% was solid this year- his overall shooting was barely 40%- On an offense that (i dont know what they are now) up untila week or so ago was top 5 in the NBA in efficieny- he was the guy seriously dragging that efficiency down.

Kevin Love cannot pass himself the ball. Irving has arguably been the Cavs best player- and has definitely been their most consistent. I truly believe Dion Waiters thinks he was either the best or 2ndbest player (after LeBron) on the Cavs- and its what I loved about Dion- but its also why it was not going to work here long term.

Sure on his rookie deal it is more palatable- but once that runs out and he is getting paid 7-8M a year- it simply was not possible.

The Cavs do not have the shots to keep Dion happy. Maybe 5-6 years from now when Dion is more focused on a championship than himself it could be different but that is just not the case right now.

If the Cavs did not have Loveand LeBron i would have driven to Quicken Loans arena and found Griffin and castrated him- but we do. And those 3 guys are the ONLY guys that should be taking a consistent volume of shots on the team

Shumpert has his limits as a player- but on THIS team- he is a significant addition. He does not need the ball, and can play perimeter D on an above average level and let LeBron cover a lesser perimeter guy. That is truly very important.

Smith was the cost of doing business- BUT- if he is at where Dion might be in 5 years- and just wants to win, and can realize he is not LeBron, Love or Kyrie there is no reason why he does not replace Dion almost exactly. While Dion's ceiling is unquestionably higher- and if I wanted a guy taking 12 shots a game andhandling the ball its Dion all day- but Smith should get open shots here- and can give you what Dion was giving the Cavs fairly easily. Their stats are actually shockingly similar- and Smith was on the DUMPSTER FIRE called the Knicks.

As for Mozgov.....The Cavs were over a barrel here. I dont like giving up 2 first round picks- even if they are late picks for a guy who is about a league average center- but the Cavs NEEDED him. Not only for his rim protection, and height- but- to ME- the most important part is- it lets Kevin Love go back to being the 4 and can refocus his game. Depending on what Blatt does- it also pushes TT back to thebench- where he can come inand continue to dominate opposing bench bigs.

The Mozgov trade's success will obviously depend on Mozgovs play- but also on if Gasol resigns in Memphis- if he does- I am PERFECTLY fine with it- if he doesnt - and Randolph declines and Gasol is gone- that pick could be pretty decent.


I am guessing that the starting lineup will eventually look like

PG- Kyrie
SG- Shumpert (or Miller)
SF- Bron
PF- Love
C- Mozgov

with a bench of Miller, Smith, Delle, TT, Marion

Mozgov is also signed for next year- so the Cavs have Mozgov/Andy/TT/Love (in all likelihood) and can use their last big trade chip (Haywood's deal) to bring in a significant perimeter player.


as for the immediate future- Shump is not due back for another couple weeks, LeBron for a week, so we wont see the finished product for a while yet.

Having said that- For Griffin to get Shumpert, Smith, and Mozgov for Waiters and the pick from Memphis we got becuase we took some bad K's from them a couple years ago- is to me- even if i step back and look at it objectively - fairly impressive.

Especially because he made the deals early enough for the Cavs toget healthy and have plenty of time to mesh.

I feel a lot better going up against Toronto and Chicago with Mozgov against Valunciunas and Noah than i did a few hours ago- and while those teams still have the advantage- that advantage has been mitigated.

 

[WiggyRuss]

*and when i say "advantage" - i mean at the center position.

If LeBron was truly not healthy- and will come back healthy- thats the silver bullet. No one out there can trump that card- and it is not even really close. He is your ace in the hole. As long as LeBron comes back healthy- Toronto, Atlanta, Washington have nothing more than a punchers chance. And seeing how LeBron has never had a serious injury in his career- and that the Cavs are committed to taking care of him (and not running him into the ground like Spoelstra did while Wade sits a third of the season and still runs outta gas in the playoffs) there is no reasonto think LeBron should be anything but 100% andthe most rested he has been in years when theplayoffs start.