2015-16 NBA Eastern Conference OFFICIAL THREAD

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I mean i seriously dont know how anyone in their right mind can say the Cavs didnt freaking do it pefectly.

LeBron leaves at the end of 2009/10-
The best Cavs remaining? Jamison/MoWilliams/Varejao/Sessions/Gibson/Hickson/AnthonyParker and a bunch of nobodies. No first round pick that previous summer as it went to the Wiz for Jamison.

They turn that roster of vets- and not even one good young player besides maybe Hickson- in just 3 drafts and 3 offseasons- they are in position to tell LeBron James - come back to Cleveland- we got more than you got in Miami- and we got an owner who will spend BIG TIME.

THINK of that. Kyrie, Wiggins, Bennett, Zeller, Waiters, Karasev, still multiple picks in your pocket, the Haywood contract, cap room.........Its just too crazy.....3 offseasons because the 1st offseason was wasted with no pick- a team with not even one good young player (besides maybe Hickson), without one all star level vet....

In that short time gathered enough assets and young players for LeBron to say "ya know what- love ya Dwade and Bosh but im going to play with better youger guys in Cleveland"

THAT is how you execute a rebuild right there. Take notes.

Those young guys who were in street clothes when it mattered?
I wonder how many times James has already questioned his panic move already?
You know he'd kill to play with Whiteside if he could have a redo.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

OF COURSE IT DID. If Kyrie was not here LeBron is not jumping back to Cleveland so soon. He wouldve signed another 2-3 years in Miami if Cleveland did not turn their roster from being bare to being READY TO GO in 3 drafts.

If the Cavs never make that Baron Davis deal- and JUST get the #4 pick in the draft and take like Brandon Knight NO EFFEN WAY is LeBron back. You have got to be outta your mind.

I'll agree that Kyrie was a major factor in his decision to return, but that's not what I'm talking about.

Kyrie had nothing to do as far as leading any team to winning anything.

And once agan, the pick they acquired had less then a 3% chance of becoming Kyrie, so trading for Davis with the hopes of getting Kyrie by doing it couldn't be in any sane persons thought process.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Those young guys who were in street clothes when it mattered?
I wonder how many times James has already questioned his panic move already?
You know he'd kill to play with Whiteside if he could have a redo.

oh yah....kill to play with the guy who was playing in some podunk league in Lebanon a little over a year ago- a hothead who was basically blackballed from the league for a few years until he came back and still had emotional issues. Tristan Thompson AT WORST played him to a standstill by himself the other night.

And as i said- the Heat obviously were all LeBron. They went from the penthouse to the outhouse. 37 wins in the East and LeBron is regretting that? HA!

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I hope the Cavs are fully healthy for the playoffs this year





So they don't have any excuses when they lose again.

 

[WiggyRuss]

And of course there was luck involved in getting the #1 pick for Kyrie - there always has to be. All the Cavs could do is add as many picks in the first round as they could and keep taking swings until they get some hits, or stockpiled enough picks/assets to make a deal.

I mean- if you really want to go down that rabbit hole- say the Clips pick stayed where it should- and the Cavs got 8- and the Cavs picked stayed where it should and they got #2- they STILL mightve got Kyrie at 2 since the Twolves might not have taken a point guard- and if TT was gone at 8- Klay Thompson was the pick... so there is no way you can say- well - maybe if thy didnt get lucky--- -if ou add their 2 lotto picks together they had the 2nd best chance in the draft at getting the #1 pick- i think like 20% from their #2 slot and there rooughly 3% from their #8 slot in the lotto- for 23% which is slightly less than the #1 slot of I believe 25% at #1....but its a stupid rabbit hole to go down- becuase like i said- they may have ended up with Irving and Klay Thompson vey easily.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

oh yah....kill to play with the guy who was playing in some podunk league in Lebanon a little over a year ago- a hothead who was basically blackballed from the league for a few years until he came back and still had emotional issues. Tristan Thompson AT WORST played him to a standstill by himself the other night.

And as i said- the Heat obviously were all LeBron. They went from the penthouse to the outhouse. 37 wins in the East and LeBron is regretting that? HA!

That's a real bright way to analyze it.

Take James off last year or this years Cav roster and they don't sniff round 2, if they even make the playoffs.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Tristan with another 9 boards and 3 blocks in 22 minutes....he has been playing like a psycho thus far....little rusty offensively that first game but hes played really well....hes avery solid player for this era of the nba with so few true big men. He fits that tweener role nice.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

And of course there was luck involved in getting the #1 pick for Kyrie - there always has to be. All the Cavs could do is add as many picks in the first round as they could and keep taking swings until they get some hits, or stockpiled enough picks/assets to make a deal.

I mean- if you really want to go down that rabbit hole- say the Clips pick stayed where it should- and the Cavs got 8- and the Cavs picked stayed where it should and they got #2- they STILL mightve got Kyrie at 2 since the Twolves might not have taken a point guard- and if TT was gone at 8- Klay Thompson was the pick... so there is no way you can say- well - maybe if thy didnt get lucky--- -if ou add their 2 lotto picks together they had the 2nd best chance in the draft at getting the #1 pick- i think like 20% from their #2 slot and there rooughly 3% from their #8 slot in the lotto- for 23% which is slightly less than the #1 slot of I believe 25% at #1....but its a stupid rabbit hole to go down- becuase like i said- they may have ended up with Irving and Klay Thompson vey easily.

That's just playing hypothetical %'s.
What we do know FOR SURE is that they could have had Oladipo if they had a clue what they were doing vs taking Bennett.

 

[ChrisGar15]

That's a real bright way to analyze it.

Take James off last year or this years Cav roster and they don't sniff round 2, if they even make the playoffs.

Really ... with Kyrie & Love (and Moz, TT, ..) ... they can't be the Celtics ??

 

[WiggyRuss]

gotta admit

That's just playing hypothetical %'s.
What we do know FOR SURE is that they could have had Oladipo if they had a clue what they were doing vs taking Bennett.[/QUOTE

well thats exactly what you were doing-

and yah for sure....it would be nice to have Oladipo- all tough- A. you mightve had to include im in the Love deal and B. yah hes good but a 2 guard that cant shoot 3s is not a great fit with bron bron.

At the very least he wouldve been better trade bait then Bennett- but liike i said- you hit some you miss on some- and in that particular draft- just about everyone missed....

Im still way more bummed about passing drummond for waiters.....all though i have to admit i wanted barnes at the time. I REALLY wantd MKG but he went #2.....Beal goes #3.......and freaking Waiters #4....Lillard, Drummond, went not far on- all though a lot of people were afraid of drummond- and with kyrie drafting lillard is redundant. OH WELL

 

[WiggyRuss]

gotta give Okafor credit- hes played reall well against a darn good Cavsfrontline defensively. This 4th game of the season- Okafor has been hte best big thus far against the Cavs if you just count a single game....

surprises me....should be interesting to watch over the long haul. Gotta say didn like him in the draft but i gotta admit he has looked really good here.

 

[ChrisGar15]

That's just playing hypothetical %'s.
What we do know FOR SURE is that they could have had Oladipo if they had a clue what they were doing vs taking Bennett.

I love how people 3 years later make stuff up about who they would have taken. In 2013, Oladipo was originally supposed to go around 5-6 ... dropped as people looked at who was available. Noel was the person most people said would go #1. Coming off an injury, people were concerned about him. (Greg Oden ????) It ends up looking back at it three years later, Noel would have been the best pick. Looking at that draft -- there were no great players. Cleveland definitely screwed up with Bennett -- but that was a crummy draft. (MCW was ROY) The best player was probably the guy drafted #27.

Good documentary about Sam Bowie being taken ahead of MJ. At the time, Bowie was the 'obvious' choice. Jack Ramsey (coach of Port -- HOFer) said that taking MJ ahead of Bowie was barely discussed. Everyone remembers it differently now. Remember that Portland had taken Drexler a year or two earlier.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Sixers stole Stauskas and that 1st rounder (though its protected- but not great) from the Kings.

How some other team that is rebuilding did not get Stauskas and a 1st rounder for just taking those salaries from the Kings was dumb. I havent been a huge fan of the Sixers moves for the most part- but that was a VERY VERY good one- and anyone rebuilding with cap space could have executed it.....

 

[ChrisGar15]

gotta give Okafor credit- hes played reall well against a darn good Cavsfrontline defensively. This 4th game of the season- Okafor has been hte best big thus far against the Cavs if you just count a single game....

surprises me....should be interesting to watch over the long haul. Gotta say didn like him in the draft but i gotta admit he has looked really good here.

Towns looking good also. He'd still go #1 if done over ... but I think the Lakers would be taking Okafor.

 

[trojanfan12]

if you dont think their is any strategy to taking on other teams problems like Baron Davis, Luke Walton, Speights+Ellngton, and getting assets like first round picks then i dont know what to tell ya.

THATS how you jump start a rebuilding project. Add in an extra lotto pick or two- and about 3-4 extra 1st round picks over a 4 year period---- keep some, deal some- hit BIG on some like Kyrie.....

either that or you can do the decade rebuild thing....SO glad Dan spent all that money on Baron Davis' contract to get Kyrie and get the whole thing started!!! And so glad Dan signed off on taking Waltons deal and getting those picks from the Lakers which laid a base for the Cavs clearing the max cap space to sign LeBron! Like I said- gotta give some props to the Clips and Lakers!!! without them I sure as hell dont see Bron back here yet...

You can try and re-write history all you want. No one buys your garbage.

The fact is, when Lebron left, Gilbert said the he would make sure that the Cavs won a title before Lebron. In fact, if memory serves, he guaranteed it. He did not make good on that promise. Meanwhile, Lebron won 2 titles.

It's also a fact that he proceeded to do the exact opposite and let his team tank while Lebron was in Miami and made zero effort to put a team on the floor that could even make the playoffs in the crappy east, let alone contend for a title.

There was no strategy. There was tanking and luck.

 

[WiggyRuss]

You can try and re-write history all you want. No one buys your garbage.

The fact is, when Lebron left, Gilbert said the he would make sure that the Cavs won a title before Lebron. In fact, if memory serves, he guaranteed it. He did not make good on that promise. Meanwhile, Lebron won 2 titles.

It's also a fact that he proceeded to do the exact opposite and let his team tank while Lebron was in Miami and made zero effort to put a team on the floor that could even make the playoffs in the crappy east, let alone contend for a title.

There was no strategy. There was tanking and luck.

yup....it was blind luck taking a bunch of bad contracts for first rounders. lol.....cmon man.

All i gotta say is that after the 2009/2010 season the Cavs cupboard was BARE- they didnt even have a first round pick that first draft since it was dealt for win-now vet Jamison.

3 short drafts later Dan Gilbert and his management team had the assets to sell LeBron james on coming back. The Cavs are title favorites. The PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

Lets see how many years it takes the Lakers to be in position to have enough assets to attract a major free agent. CLOCK IS TICKING.

 

[ManuForever]

yup....it was blind luck taking a bunch of bad contracts for first rounders. lol.....cmon man.

All i gotta say is that after the 2009/2010 season the Cavs cupboard was BARE- they didnt even have a first round pick that first draft since it was dealt for win-now vet Jamison.

3 short drafts later Dan Gilbert and his management team had the assets to sell LeBron james on coming back. The Cavs are title favorites. The PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

Lets see how many years it takes the Lakers to be in position to have enough assets to attract a major free agent. CLOCK IS TICKING.

Do you EVER admit that you're wrong or do you sit there all day fighting battles that you're not going to win?

 

[WiggyRuss]

Bron Bron a nice 22, 11 and 9 in 33 minutes......lets keep that minute total at 35 or less and for the 2nd straight year cut LeBrons minutes to a career low. Blatt did a great job cutting his minutes last year. Lets keep on doing it. Cavs want more Tim Duncan and less Kobe Bryant in late career LeBron- lets hope they keep that up.

Delly 12 points 9 assists. mo williams tore it up. Cavs have the deepest PG position in the entire league.

 

[ManuForever]

Bron Bron a nice 22, 11 and 9 in 33 minutes......lets keep that minute total at 35 or less and for the 2nd straight year cut LeBrons minutes to a career low. Blatt did a great job cutting his minutes last year. Lets keep on doing it. Cavs want more Tim Duncan and less Kobe Bryant in late career LeBron- lets hope they keep that up.

Delly 12 points 9 assists. mo williams tore it up. Cavs have the deepest PG position in the entire league.

If the Cavs are so deep, then why the hell didn't they keep that 21-point lead? Deep teams are able to build on leads, not lose them...

 

[trojanfan12]

yup....it was blind luck taking a bunch of bad contracts for first rounders. lol.....cmon man.

All i gotta say is that after the 2009/2010 season the Cavs cupboard was BARE- they didnt even have a first round pick that first draft since it was dealt for win-now vet Jamison.

3 short drafts later Dan Gilbert and his management team had the assets to sell LeBron james on coming back. The Cavs are title favorites. The PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

Lets see how many years it takes the Lakers to be in position to have enough assets to attract a major free agent. CLOCK IS TICKING.

Fact - Gilbert guaranteed a title for the Cavs before Lebron got one.
Fact - Gilbert did not even make an effort to build a competitive team.
Fact - Lebron won 2 titles with the Heat while the Cavs tanked.
Fact - Gilbert got lucky in the lottery. There is no skill in getting to the lottery because there's no skill to losing.

Like I said, no strategy, no skill. Just losing and luck.

And the Lakers have nothing to do with this discussion. Weak deflection attempt. But as everyone has seen time and time again. Deflection is all you've got.