Cleveland sports chat with Eric Kastner

Jimmy: Hello all and welcome to the Jimbo Says! blog monthly Cavs chat. We have plenty of topics on the horizon today, including a possible trade with the Cavs landing Andrew Bynum. Our guest is Eric Kastner. Just a little background to let the readers know how this works: We're gonna talk back in forth about mostly Cavs information, and we'll post the transcript online here. If you want to get involved and ask us questions for next time, email me at jflint@heidelberg.edu.

Anyway, welcome to the website, Eric. Tell our readers a little about yourself.

Eric: Thanks, Jimmy! I'm a 21 soon to be 22 year old undergraduate student majoring in Communications and living here in Tiffin OH where I grew up my entire life. I'm a huge sports fan when it comes to the NBA, MLB, NFL, and College athletics. However, I do hold a special edge for my Cleveland teams and this trade for Andrew Bynum has me really intrigued tonight

Jimmy: Great, well as a fellow communications student, it's exciting to welcome you to the program today! Eric and I have been talking sports for a long time, and he's one of the more knowledgeable fans in the area. He's made appearances on my various radio shows throughout the years. Let's move on to the topics at hand! First off, tell us what the latest is on this possible Bynum deal tonight!

Eric: The last I heard was from a very reliable Orlando television source that the deal is "imminent". The deal would land Bynum in Cleveland, Howard in LA with the Lakers and Orlando would be asking for cap relief, prospects and of course draft picks. The question is if one of those prospects would be Tristan Thompson. A couple of players to keep an eye on for the Cavs fans are Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao. Those two guys are two guys the Orlando front office is likely asking for. As well as Daniel Gibson, Luke Walton, etc for cap relief as the 2013 free agency period would hit us.

Jimmy: You brought up an interesting point earlier though, and that is the fact that the Lakers are the true winners in this trade, since they're picking up Dwight Howard. Maybe this could mean that they end up helping out by sending some younger prospects to Orlando in the three-way deal. We've got a ménage a trois of sorts here in the works! It's got to be difficult for the Cavaliers to give up last year's #4 pick though (albeit in a weak draft), in Tristan Thompson. So it's my belief that the Cavs are doing their best to hold on to TT. What do you envision being the final deal if something gets worked out here, Eric?

                                                                                                                 

Eric: As much as I'd hate to see Tristan Thompson go, I cannot imagine him wearing a Cavalier jersey next year if this deal indeed goes down. The Lakers have some good young pieces in Devin Ebanks and Jordan Hill they could part way with, and that’s the only way I could see Cleveland holding on to Tristan. If Lakers part with some prospects, Cleveland can part with expiring contracts in Luke Walton and Gibson, etc as well as some draft picks. The Cavaliers have a ton of draft picks and I believe that is why they've been mentioned in these three team trades of late, as teams recognize the Cavs have some valuable assets. Anyways, right now I couldn’t tell you ultimately who the Cavs would be giving up, but what I do know is the main pieces would be Howard to the Lakers and Bynum to the Cavs which would give Cleveland a big two in Kyrie and Bynum and possibly the best big man and point guard duo in the league.

Jimmy: It’s certainly exciting to think about, really quickly before we  move on, what’s the % chance on a deal like this going down? There are of course a lot of factors, including the fact that the cavs will not accept this deal unless Bynum agrees to an extension.

Eric: To be honest, I would give this deal a 50% chance of going down. And, here is why: There are so many things you have to weigh in a deal like this. First, will Dwight Howard make such a fuss of a trade to LA that he will hold up the trade by refusing to move across the coast? Then, you have to factor in Chris Grant and his staff in Cleveland and wonder if he will snag the trade like he supposedly did with New Jersey and Orlando. Also, will Bynum sign an extension with Cleveland? The Cavaliers won't make this trade unless Bynum will sign a max contract. Bynum knows he can make the big bucks in Cleveland as they have a ton of cap space. And, he also knows that he wont be a second fiddle in the offense behind Kobe and Gasol. Bynum will be a big focal point with Cleveland as him and Kyrie will make for a dynamic duo. Cleveland has the draft picks and assets to give Orlando, the Lakers obviously have been clamoring for Dwight, so this has all the makings of getting done, however, it could take awhile with all the snags that I just mentioned

Jimmy: A possible starting line-up next year of:

PG: Irving

SG: Waiters

SF: Gee

PF: Thompson

C: Bynum

This sure looks like a playoff team, so Cavs fans are very excited at the prospects of this possible blockbuster!

Jimmy: Okay, well we’ll keep the readers updated with the latest on this trade, but, let’s turn our attention to tomorrow night’s Vegas Summer League opener for our Cleveland Cavaliers.  The joke for me is that the Cavs summer league “dream team” should be ready to roll the competition.  They do however come out with a tough test against Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kemba Walker, former buckeye BJ Mullens, and the Charlotte Bobcats.  The Bobcats came out and solidly beat down the Kings 121-87 on Friday behind 18 from Gilchrist.  Any predictions for the game and what are some of the key things you’ll be looking at from the Cavaliers squad?

Eric: Well one of the things we will get a look at early on, is if the Cavs made the right decision on taking the SG from Syracuse, Dion Waiters. One of the other prospects that Cleveland will be facing is MKG like you said, and it was reported he was in the top 3 of Cleveland's draft choices early this June. However, I will be looking to see what Kyrie and Dion can do in the backcourt. I want to see if they can come right in and mesh with one another. I also want to see if Tyler Zeller our 17th pick can be a formidable center in this league. A starter? I'm not sold but we will see.

Jimmy: That will definitely be interesting to watch! We’ll see right away if we think Waiters has the potential to be on the same level as an MKG type of guy. Damn MJ, stealing MKG away…

Jimmy: So what do you make of the 1-on-1 stuff with Kobe and Kyrie? You think Kyrie could give him a run? Also, what do you think of the chances that the U.S. can take home the gold again at the Olympics this summer?

Eric: Kobe is getting up there in age so I think Kyrie can give him a run for his money. I don't think Kobe could stay in front of Mr. Irving. I also think the USA should win another gold medal. Just think how scary this team would be if they had a healthy Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and now Blake Griffin.  Also, no big news compared to the rumored Andrew Bynum deal. However, Free agent point guard Jonny Flynn is scheduled to work out for the #Cavs on Monday, per a league source with knowledge of the workout

Jimmy: One more question before we go: What do you make of the Browns taking Josh Gordon, WR, Baylor, in the second round of the supplemental draft?

Eric: It is a bit of a risk by using next years second pick, but it has the chance of being a high reward. Gordon was looked at as a top 10 pick this year after transferring from Baylor due to some drug issues, etc. Gordon can be looked at a lot like Greg Little was when Cleveland drafted him last year. Gordon and Little are somewhat similar because they didn't play at all the season prior to being drafted, however, Gordon's situation is a little different as he still practiced with Utah and participated with his new team.

Eric: Gordon is 6'3" 225 and has an NFL body. Speed, Strength, etc. He has showed route running issues but I'm sure Brad Childress and the offensive staff can straighten him out. Finally, I would just like to say I'm very excited about Cleveland sports. We seem to be moving in the right direction with all these young players. I love what the Browns are doing and watching Weeden, Richardson, Gordon, and Greg Little grow is going to be fun. If the Cavs can get Andrew Bynum he will be a 24 soon to be 25 year old Center to go along with one of the best point guards in the league already and the Cleveland Indians are in the run of things in the wildcard and AL Central even though Ubaldo had a terrible performance today.

Jimmy: Don’t get me started on Badbaldo and the Tribe, that’s for another chat, man! Alright Eric, thanks for coming aboard! For everyone else, stay tuned for our game review tomorrow after the Cavaliers summer league opener.  The game will start at 8:30 PM EST, and I’ll have a game review posted afterward at some point! We’ll have Eric on again after the end of the summer league, as well as to talk about some other topics!

Cleveland Cavaliers off-season in review

Gee likely to be back in Wine and Gold

July 2nd, 2012 marked the first moment that NBA teams could contact free agents for the NBA season.  The Cavaliers wasted no time tendering the maximum qualifying offer to SF Alonzo Gee. A move that didn't take anyone by surprise. Gee is coming off of a career year putting up new personal bests in scoring, rebounding, and steals per game. The former D-League star is starting to become quite a good wing and a lot of fans and analysts alike see Gee being a key role player moving forwards for the Cavaliers.  Gee was expecting some offers from numerous teams, including a rumor 4 year/16 million dollar offer from the Suns, but thus far nothing has come to fruition.  Gee is a Restricted Free Agent, meaning if any team offers him a contract, the Cavaliers have the first right to match said contract offer.  The Cavaliers will likely match any reasonable dollar figure.

Unfamiliar place

One of the most interesting features of this off-season thus far has been the shear amount of Free Agents that the Cavaliers have been linked to.  This, is likely in large part due to the fact that the Cavs are one of very few teams to have significant cap space this summer.  Most rumors and sources are saying that the Cavs will save most of that cap space to make a big splash in free agency next summer (2013). Agents of the free agent class for this summer are throwing the Cavs name out there on many players to hopefully get other teams to up their offers.  The Cavaliers have been linked in talks to names like: Alexey Shved, Ersan Ilyasova, Anthony Tolliver, Nicolas Batum, Derek Fisher, Mirza Teletovic, Sonny Weems, Johnny Flynn, and others.  Don't expect them to go after any big name guys though this summer.

Draft day head scratcher

"With the fourth pick of the 2012 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select, Dion Waiters, guard out of Syracuse University." These were the words uttered by commissioner David Stern on draft day.  Afterward there was a social media stream of the usual Cleveland negativity.  The young guard out of Syracuse was predicted to go 7th overall by draft express and even later in most other mock drafts. However, the Cavaliers and Byron Scott were more than excited about getting their guy. Although Scott and GM Chris Grant are saying they're excited, it's still hard to imagine that Waiters was the the very top of their wish list.  It was common among teams in the lottery that Anthony Davis was the consensus #1 guy out of this draft class, and after that there were about 5-7 guys who made up the "second tier".  Cavs probably would have been happier with Kidd-Gilchrist or Bradley Beal, but they'll take what they got.  The Cavaliers second pick was Senior Center Tyler Zeller, out of North Carolina. They made him the 17th overall pick in the first round as they traded with the Mavs to secure the big man.  Most analysts including John Buccigross of ESPN's sportscenter applauded the pick however, and some even said that Waiters may have been the steal of the draft.  His former coach Jim Boeheim commented on Waiters being similar to Dwyane Wade in a lot of ways, and as the best slasher in the draft, Waiters may be the best 2-guard that Cavs fans have seen in a very long time.  Only time will tell on these picks.

Helping in the Howard trade?

As of this posting, rumors are aplenty about the possible move of Dwight Howard from Orlando to Brooklyn.  The Cavaliers have been active in the trade talks and most reports have them taking on cap space (in the likely form of Kris Humphries) in order to make the deal work out logistically for both squads.  Once again, Dan Gilbert is willing to open up the pocketbook to improve the team.  Other rumors include the Cavaliers possibly gaining offensive dynamo SG Marshon Brooks, who will be entering his sophomore season.  Probably the most common rumor would be the Cavs gaining draft picks in the future. It's always good to stockpile assets and Grant has done a masterful job of that during the rebuild thus far.  We'll keep you posted as this develops, stay tuned!

Team needs

Projected opening day starting line-up:

PG: Kyrie Irving

SG: Dion Waiters

SF: Alonzo Gee

PF: Tristan Thompson

C: Anderson Varejao

Bench: Tyler Zeller

Bench: Boobie Gibson

Bench: Veteran wing, possibly Michael Redd or Sonny Weems

Taking a look at their projected starting line-up going into the season, the Cavaliers have a lot of youth, athleticism, and question marks.  After watching last years playoffs, it's clear to see that having athleticism is a premium in today's NBA, and the Cavaliers do have a solid athleticism throughout their line-up.  Byron Scott loves a fast team that can get out and run, and looking at the Cavs roster, they have 3 mobile big men who are GREAT on the break, this should be a strength of the squad.  The most interesting thing to watch during the season will likely be the growth and play of Dion Waiters as well as Tristan Thompson.  Irving will likely continue to amaze the rest of the league and will likely improve on his historical rookie campaign, but Thompson is more of a question mark.  Many fans and analysts were scratching their heads in the 2011 draft when the Cavs make the Texas forward the 4th overall pick, however, a close look at this athleticism and raw ability justified the selection to some.  Thompson's showed glimpses of serious defensive prowess last season and all reports from the Cavaliers organization seem to agree that Thompson has been the hardest working player so far in the off-season. 

Once again, time will tell!

Thanks for reading, I'm going to try and do a few posts a week for the rest of the summer. Feel free to e-mail me questions for our Friday weekly Mailbox section.  You can e-mail to jflint@heidelberg.edu or contact me on facebook.  I'd be happy to share some opinions with you all.

NOL and MAL standings update heading into Sectionals

Long time no see readers! It feels good to be back.  I finally have an internet connection in my home, so it's time to update the boys NOL and MAL standings and give you all a bit of a heads up on what the Tiffin Columbian and Tiffin Calvert squads need to do, and who they may face moving forward in the state tournament.

MAL standings (Courtesy of www.tiffinohiosports.com) 
Click on the link above to see standings.

After a tough 60-50 loss against New Riegel a week ago, Calvert forfeited a chance to control their own destiny in the Midland Athletic League.  Most fans and supporters realize at this point, it's time to focus on the state playoff run, because as the season winds down, the Senecas have a very slim chance of winning the MAL championship. Calvert is deadlocked in second place with Old Fort at 7-2 in the league, as New Riegel has a strong  hold on first place at 8-1. Calvert plays tonight vs Lakota, and you can hear that game live on AM 1600, Cool FM 93.3, or at wttf.com. After that they face Liberty-Benton to close up their season.

Sectional Drawing: Calvert will face Bettsville 4-14, (1-8 MAL), the game is 2/29 at 6:15 PM. The game is at Fostoria High School. If Calvert wins they will face the winner of Old Fort/Fostoria St. Wendelin.


Tiffin Columbian has fallen off over the last few games, and sits currently at 8-9 (3-5 NOL).  TC kissed it's NOL title chances goodbye a long time ago, but don't get me wrong, this TC team has some talent.  Players like Bryce Lonsway and Deker Kneeskern are having the best seasons of their respective playing careers, and this large senior group won't go out without a fight.  You can listen to them live on Saturday night vs Fremont Ross on AM 1600, Cool FM 93.3, or online at www.wttf.com. Columbian finished out their season hosting Sandusky tonight, hosting Fremont Ross on Saturday night, and then heading to Norwalk. Norwalk at 17-0 (9-0 NOL) has a firm grip on the NOL title race moving forward.

Sectional Drawing: Tiffin Columbian starts its playoff run against Willard (9-8, 4-4 NOL), who they lost 74-70 to last week, and also beat them by 10+ earlier in the season. With a victory over Willard, TC would face the winner of Clear Fork and Shelby.

WE DESERVE BETTER

Anybody who love's and supports the Cleveland Indians, WE DESERVE BETTER!

For a LONG time, I have been a supporter of Larry Dolan, thinking he would turn things around, get some big name players, and spend money! That must just be because I am a wishful thinker, because everybody else gave up on the man a while ago..

During this offseason, we have made no significant moves. Yes we have added depth to the roster, but nothing fans are worrying about. Until Dolan puts more money into a big name guy, people will not come to games. Heck, are we even going to be able to hold on to our own guys now? I'm going to hate to see Drubal, Choo, Santana, Brantley, Ubaldo, and eventually Kip and Chisenhall walk. This is the kind of organization we are: Breed talent, develop the talent, and stock other teams with our talent.

Don't try to plead the case of the economy being bad. With the signing of Prince Fielder by Detroit, this proves that that is not an issue, as their economy is worse than our own. I cannot just sit back, and be content with allowing division rivals to sign big name free agents. I don't understand how our front office can be either. What is it going to take for the Indians and Progressive field to rock like it did in the glory days?

[Insert Dan Gilbert]

I believe Dan Gilbert is exactly the kind of personality this team needs. It needs the ownership and leadership that has the balls to go out and spend money, make bold moves, and be a good owner. Gilbert is not afraid to spend money, and in a sport that money is far greater than any kind of team loyalty, he seems like a good fit to me.

Gilbert would not put up with this Roberto Hernandez Heredia bull either. I cannot even begin to wrap my head around why in the would it is even CONSIDERED that we will keep this bum on our team. It makes me sick that they think he is a part of our future, or a big part of this team. This man, whoever he is, lied to this organization for eleven years, and they act like everything is cool. NO, it's not! His money could be put in a much better place.

With the 7 million from his contract we can sign Roy Oswalt, a much better upgrade to Roberto. If they can also be content with Roberto sucking up the mound for the past four seasons, then I don't know what we are in for. The front office can make bold moves to trade our future for Ubaldo, but can't man up and get rid of Roberto?

What is it going to take for this team to get back to the glory days. The days when the Jake was rocking and the team was on the top?

For this organization to take steps in the right direction, Larry Dolan needs to give this team up! If not, then I can't even think of how much smaller the fan base will get..

Recent Inactivity

Hello faithful readers, how are you all? I hope everyone is having a great 2012! I wanted to make a quick post to make a few announcement of some changes and to announce that although I'll be very busy over the next 4 weeks with New Member Education in my fraternity, I will continue writing some sports pieces.  The major announcement though is that we at WTTF and the Monday Night Sports Talk show would like to welcome Kyle Saxton as our new analyst on the show. Saxton is the Offensive Line coach for Tiffin Calvert and was a three year starter for Tiffin Columbian on the line. Listen in on Cool FM 93.3, AM 1600, or online at www.wttf.com.  The show airs each Monday at 4:45 PM and lasts until 6:00 PM.  We do the show live from Fort Ball Pizza Palace in Tiffin, Ohio, some come on down and have the buffet with us! Tomorrow night's show will feature Tiffin Columbian Boy's Basketball coach Bill Beaston, and we'll discuss some TC basketball with him around 5:20.  Make sure and tune in to list to Drew Felton, myself, and Kyle, talk about all of the goings on of the sports world including the untimely death of Joe Paterno, Tom Brady's place in history among other NFL QB's. and many other topics.

Tiffin Columbian @ Willard Boys' Basketball Preview

Tiffin Columbian Tornadoes travel to Willard to take on the flashes in an early season NOL battle

Listen live: Russ Snyder and Jimmy Flint will have the call on 1600 AM, 93.3 FM, or online at www.wttf.com.  Pre-game will start around 7:10 pm.

* All statistics for the Flashes are based off of the 5 games we have record of.

Projected Starters:

TC Tornadoes: 4-1, (1-1 in the NOL)

PG: #1 Jonah Boyer

SG: #2 Bryce Lonsway

SF: #23 Nick Loura

PF: #12 Deker Kneeskern

C: #50 Kyle Heminger

Willard Flashes: 3-4, (1-1 in the NOL)

PG: #11 Kolin Phillips

SG:  #4 Kyle Fluharty

SF: #42 Marcus Hahler

PF: #22 Hayden Adams

C: #40 Scott Buurna 

TC player to watch: Jonah Boyer- Boyer has had a solid season thus far, but in a match-up where the Tornadoes are the smaller team, his quickness, speed, and most importantly decision making will have to be at its best in order for the Tornadoes to seize victory in this contest. Boyer must set the tempo early and often and the senior must especially send a message on the defensive end.

Willard player to watch: Kolin Phillips- Philips leads the Flashes in scoring this season with over 13 points per contest, and he will need to take care of the basketball in order to lead his flashes to victory tonight.  Phillips has turned the ball over 23 times in 5 games this season. The 6'3 senior must use his height advantage to best the smaller Tornado guards.

Key match-up: Willard's bigs vs TC's bigs: Other than the match-up of our two key players, which will certainly be a fun one to watch, this seems to be the most important match-up.  Willard has 3 bigs of 6'4 or taller, while TC has two-6'4 post players of their own.  Kyle Heminger, Deker Kneeskern and Isaiah Moore will need to all play well on the defensive end and will also have to limit Willard's second-chance opportunities.  The most important player for TC is probably Heminger on the defensive end.

Game outlook: 

   Willard comes into this game with a 3-4 overall record, 1-1 inside the Northern Ohio League.  This records certainly doesn't reflect how talented of a team they can possibly be.  Tiffin Columbian is at 4-1, and head coach Bill Beaston doesn't think that his team has hit its stride yet either.  So this clash of two strong NOL teams should certainly prove to be an exciting one.  Willard is a team who has great post play, but lacks a true PG.  Kolin Phillips will get most of the time for the Flashes at the '1', but plays more like a shooting guard.  His height, at 6'3 is very helpful though and just adds another tall and lengthy body on defense.

   Willard's length on defense could cause a lot of problems for the Tornadoes, who will need big play out of sophomore post player, Isaiah Moore, as well as senior center Kyle Heminger.  TC will need to limit Willard's offensive rebounds and second-chance point opportunities.  The biggest key though in this game for TC will be to force turnovers and get out in transition on offense.  Boyer, Lonsway, and Ben Davis off the bench will need to be ready to run and get buckets off of steals and forced turnovers.  

  The Willard defense will block shots, especially #22 Hayden Adams, but luckily for the Tornadoes, Willard has a serious weakness in giving up the 3-ball.  TC leading scorer Nick Loura will have to have another day's work at the office and put up some solid scoring, including good shooting from beyond the arc.  Deker Kneeskern, with there 3-pointers against Fostoria will also need to chip in from beyond the arc against a team weak at defending the three.  Connor Conley will also likely get a couple of looks from long-range. The Tornadoes can definitely win this game, but not if they take the Flashes lightly.

Jimbo's keys to the game:

1.)  - Overcome the height advantage- Willard has the height and length advantage, but TC can overcome that with speed and quickness from players like Boyer and Lonsway. They can also outwork the Flashes on the board, because Willard will often rely too much on height for rebounding.

2.)  - Beware of record- Willard is much better than it’s 3-4 record, the Tornadoes must play their best to get a victory.

3.)  - Force Turnovers- The flashes lack a true PG, and if the Tornadoes can pressure an offense that already averages 17.2 TO’s/gm into a lot of mistakes, than they’ll have a big advantage in this one.

Jimbo's fearless prediction: TC 56, Willard 52

Happy New Years to everyone from the Jimbo Says! Blog.  Be sure to tune into the game tonight and check back to the Jimbo Says! Blog for more sports news and analysis!

Cleveland Cavaliers: 2011-2012 playoff 8 seed?

Will Kyrie Irving (left) and Tristan Thompson (right)
be able to lead a young team to a playoff berth
in their first season?

  Jimbo Says! goes optimist:

  Last night I received a text from my good friend Kyle Saxton, it read, "I mean it's the pistons.. But do u think this team could make the playoffs?" The Cleveland Cavaliers, fresh off of a victory @ the Detroit Pistons, sit 1-1 currently in this young NBA season.  I want to be the first person to say it's truly possible for this year's edition of the Cavs, to find themselves in a race for the 8th playoff spot.  Don't get me wrong, I don't expect them to win a bunch of games, but if this team can go .500 in a weak Eastern Conference, i could see them backing into a playoff spot.  Before you go calling me a homer and a moron, I'd like you to realize that I have in fact thought all of this through quite thoroughly.  It may not seem likely, but in sports, as the not-so-great Kevin Garnett once said, "Anything is possibleeeee." (please check this out if you haven't yet, you'll probably laugh.) Bare in mind before you read, Kyle and I both discussed that we shouldn't get too excited yet, over a victory over a weak Detroit team, BUT, it doesn't hurt to be hopeful sometimes!  Kyle did go typical-Cleveland expectations on me, and also say, "The only thing is how long will he stay :(?" ... I hope it doesn't come to that, but it's time for Cleveland fans to enjoy the good players while we have them and be optimistic.... in fact I think.....


...It's time to put your optimist hats on Cleveland fans! The following reasons are why:

1. Kyrie Irving is the future at PG: The Cavaliers have found their future PG, and in today's NBA, PG is probably the most important thing to have.  Think about it this way, the Cavs won 0 titles with #6 on their team, and none of those teams had a true PG.  The Miami Heat last year was easily the most talented team in the NBA, but without a true PG, you found them watching the Mavs hoist the NBA champions trophy.  The NBA is a PG's game, and with the improved play of Ramon Sessions, coupled with the fact that Irving will get better and better each day, will lead the Cavs to some efficient PG play, and a lot of good victories.

Can Byron Scott help develop Kyrie
into a star PG in the NBA?

2. Byron Scott is a top 5 coach in the NBA, and he BREEDS great PGs: Scott is a winner, being a pivotal member as player on the showtime Lakers, where he won 3 championships.  I'll help you with the math, that's three more than Lebron James. Scott was a heady player, and a very smart SG for the Lakers as well as three other teams. In 2000, Byron Scott debuted as a head coach for the New Jersey Nets, and his team performed quite poorly in the first season, but low and behold, the second season the Nets set a franchise record with 52 wins.  Scott worked alongside star PG Jason Kidd in order to make this happen. The Nets, who weren't an extremely talented team went on to lose in their first ever NBA finals appearance to the LA Lakers, were a team that accomplished a lot. Scott in his third year as a coach and with the Nets, went on to lose again the next season in the NBA finals.  Scott's next tenure was with superstar PG Chris Paul in New Orleans.  The team was a perennial playoff contender in each year of his tenure there.  So if we follow the pattern, Scott wins with talented PGs, and helps develop them.  He also gets his system working and has his team performing in year 2.

"RAWRR!!11ONEONE!"

3. This 66-game season helps the Cavaliers: In the Cavaliers first victory against the Pistons, 6 Cavaliers scored in double figures.  Although this Cavs team as it stands currently, lacks a true star player, it's full of good role players.  The abbreviated schedule will BENEFIT the Cavs, and will give them an advantage over tired teams who don't have as big of a rotation.  Byron Scott can go as high as an 11 or 12 man rotation.

4. Anderson Varejao will stay healthy and shore up a position that is weak across the league: AV will be the link that holds this team together all the way through it's playoff run. Varejao is a top 10 center in the league, and his defense and hustle plays will help them edge out close games throughout the season.  When AV went down last season, it sparked the Cavs to go on a record 26-game losing streak.  The Brazilian has an improved face up game, and expect big things out of the big man this season.


5. The Cavs have Karma on their side: After what Lebron James did to this franchise, the energy around the team should be at it's best this season.  Pushing a team that, if they can stay healthy, will fight for the 8th seed in the East.  This is horrible . To add a serious reason to this, look at the Eastern Conference:


Locks to make the playoffs: (Last-season record) 
Chicago (62-20) Trending up
Miami (58-24) Trending up
Boston (56-26) Trending down
New York (42-40) Trending way up


2nd-tier teams who will likely make the playoffs:
Indiana (37-45) Trending up (pending on the play of new additions Collison and West)
Atlanta (44-38) Same
Orlando (52-30) Trending down (What happens to this squad if they trade Orlando? They drop a tier)


Fighting for the 8th-seed:
New Jersey (24-58) Trending way up
Charlotte (34-48) same
Philadelphia (41-41) same
Cleveland (19-63) Trending up


Teams who will NOT make the playoffs:
Washington (23-59)
Detroit (30-52)
Milwaukee (35-47) Probably best team in this tier
Toronto (22-60) much improved




So although it may seem unlikely at first, the Eastern Conference may be just weak enough for the Cavs to back door their way into a playoff spot. The Pacers made the playoffs at 37-45 last season, so in an Eastern Conference that is not that much improved, I'd expect around .500 ball to make the playoffs. (Philadelphia was 41-41 and was the 7 seed)


Before I end this blog post, I do want to post a couple reasons why the Cavs may NOT want to make the playoffs.  Although I can't root for them to lose, I could understand why it may be better for the franchise if it does happen.

1. Next year's draft is a strong one, and this team is a couple of pieces away from being in the 1st-tier group of the Eastern Conference: The Cavs are missing a great scoring and defensive wing and a true enforcer in the paint who can score.  If you add these two pieces, and couple that with the young players improving and getting better, the Cavs would be a perennial playoff contender.  The way for the Cavs to get these pieces is through the draft.  Varejao at 29, isn't getting younger, so his replacement needs to be found soon. As fans already know, Cleveland isn't exactly a hot spot for young Free Agents, and it's hard to convince players to come and play here.  So it's not helping the Cavs rebuilding efforts if they make the playoffs this season.

2. Losing in the first round, isn't worth it: This one is self-explanatory, it would be amazing to have a chance to knock of the Miami Heat in the first round, and I literally dream about it happening each and every night.  This just isn't how things happen in the NBA, and unfortunately, it seems like this Heat team is on a mission this season.  We can all only hope that the anti-clutch ways of their stars continue.  I wouldn't put my money against them though.

2a. Antawn Jamison needs to retire:  The guy is a blackhole shot chucker on offense, and defensively a liability.  Hopefully he can improve or just end up out of the line-up. If the Cavs do find themselves out of contention and on a losing streak, look for them to waive Jamison, he is in the last year of his contract so the Cavs will be rid of him after this season.

3. Rookies don't typically come into the league and make the playoffs in their first year: One prime example is the fact that when Lebron James was a rookie with the Cavs, they narrowly missed the playoffs, but this might just be the perfect storm for Kyrie, Tristan, and the 2011-2012 Cavaliers.


Thanks for reading folks! I hope you enjoy the blog, and make sure and continue to stop back for more analysis and information.  We should have a preview for the Tiffin Columbian boys' basketball team @ Willard on Friday night at 7:30 PM, and remember that you can tune in to wttf.com or AM 1600 or 93.3 FM. The Cavaliers continue their journey to an 8-seed on Friday night against the Indiana Pacers, so tune in.