2024-25 Regular Season

[ijspeelman]

This is a good thought experiment

Where are Garland and Mitchell going to make improvements in their game besides at the margins? With Mobley it’s fairly obvious that he can add skills that can improve his game dramatically

Garland going into year 6 and Mitchell going into year 8. Even if they get a few more open shots per game, what’s that going to add?

Those guys are what they are.

I feel like breaking your jaw midseason and losing 20 lbs, that Garland didn't have to lose, mattered more than most Cavs fans care to admit. Also it didn't help that Garland came back for the toughest part of the schedule and Wade, Mobley, Mitchell, and Strus almost immediately went down with injuries. That three starters and a key reserve.

Garland is still only 24 years old. There's no guarantee he's at his peak.

I think that's fair and I kind of discount last season for Garland anyways. I think he's a solid 23-8 guy who can push 40% on volume from 3.

and to speelmans point above I do think he can improve his off-ball skills quite a bit.

but coming back to the team outlook in this context, I don't know how that changes this roster all that much when it comes to the playoffs.

In my opinion. Someone needs to be better than Mitchell for this Cavs team to be a contender. I can see an alternate reality where Mobley is that. It's getting faint but I still have a tiny bit of hope. I don't see that for Garland, I think he's just really good and that's probably it.

I don't think those guys improving off-ball skills puts us over the top by any means, but it makes our team more versatile to run more dynamic sets that actually work.

I think there is a world where this team wins a championship, but its going to be in the vein of the 2004 Pistons, 2006 Heat, or 2022 Warriors. The FO has made cohesion a priority and I do believe that being in the picture for a long window vs peaking high for a year or so gives you much more championship opportunities.

If we want to win in a more normal way then yes we most likely need a better player alongside Mitchell. We may have a way to package players to make that happen as well if we so desire.

[jbk1234]

Hearing rumblings that the Cavs could start Wade, which if I'm being honest, seems like a risky move given how often he's injured.

[JujitsuFlip]

Hearing rumblings that the Cavs could start Wade, which if I'm being honest, seems like a risky move given how often he's injured.

Given his size, I don't hate the idea. The 2nd unit will just be tiny. One of LeVert, Okoro, or Strus will have to play 4 or if Niang beats them out, their minutes will be squeezed. That would be the 11 though, unless Merrill or Tyson leapfrogged someone on the wing.

[JonFromVA]

Hearing rumblings that the Cavs could start Wade, which if I'm being honest, seems like a risky move given how often he's injured.

Beyond the fact that Strus is hurt?

Analytically I like the idea a lot and reportedly Kenny doesn't ignore analytics like our previous coach.

Strus was better with bench units last season, and Wade gives us that extra length which should make it easier to protect Garland and Mitchell; but it looks like Bickerstaff never even bothered to try Wade with the "core 4" last season.

Either way, there will be injuries and we'll have to deal with them. If we were talking Bickerstaff, then if Wade went down, he might keep Strus on the bench and promote someone else in to the "Wade role".

[mcfly1204]

Hearing rumblings that the Cavs could start Wade, which if I'm being honest, seems like a risky move given how often he's injured.

The injury concerns are valid, but Wade gives you that 3 and D wing we've been lacking, the poor man's Lauri. As for the lack of size off the bench, GSW won their last championship with no front court depth.

[jbk1234]

I think Wade's a more natural 4, I fear he lacks the constitution to be a full time starter, and our bench bigs if he's promoted... aren't good.

I think it would be better to use him as a situational starter against the few teams that actually have taller 3s.

[toooskies]

The eastern conference actually has a shortage of tall 3s who play there. Tatum, OG, PG, Butler, Siakam are all 4s on their teams. You only have to worry about Middleton and Wagner as taller 3s.

[jbk1234]

JB has the Pistons playing some actual defense. I'm over LeVert already.

[JujitsuFlip]

Oh wow, they went with Levert at SF.

[ijspeelman]

Not to rag on JB (bc I'd rather just not talk about him), but him running the exact same play he'd always run w Garland DMitch to end the quarter and the Cavs recognizing it is objectively hilarious

[jbk1234]

The Pistons are going to have a lot of guys foul out of a lot of games this season.

[jbk1234]

LeVert is really making the case that he should be the one to get traded. Niang with honorable mention, but I just don't think anyone is taking him without compensation.

[jbk1234]

Our starters (sans Strus) have played a lot of minutes tonight and it's been pretty underwhelming. The Pistons are playing really physically and daring the officials to call a foul on every possession (the officials are not doing this). In any case, they've been pretty effective at disrupting the Cavs offense.

[jbk1234]

Mobley, in particular, needs to drop a shoulder into the defender's chest when he's get shoved around with the ball in his hands.

[JujitsuFlip]

Our starters (sans Strus) have played a lot of minutes tonight and it's been pretty underwhelming. The Pistons are playing really physically and daring the officials to call a foul on every possession (the officials are not doing this). In any case, they've been pretty effective at disrupting the Cavs offense.

Toughness has been an issue for 3 postseasons in a row. It is also what other fan bases clown our players about.

Not sure coaching can do much about that.

[toooskies]

I'm more concerned about the defense than the offense. We looked unorganized all night.

[jbk1234]

Our starters (sans Strus) have played a lot of minutes tonight and it's been pretty underwhelming. The Pistons are playing really physically and daring the officials to call a foul on every possession (the officials are not doing this). In any case, they've been pretty effective at disrupting the Cavs offense.

Toughness has been an issue for 3 postseasons in a row. It is also what other fan bases clown our players about.

Not sure coaching can do much about that.

It's disconcerting that Mobley isn't responding to being.fouled like that in his 4th year. Garland's physical limitations are what they are (although I believe he had 5 steals tonight).

Mitchell and Strus are both physical. Allen can be
However, aside from the PED version of TT, we haven't really had a guy who can come on the court and make the officials think about just how far they want to let things go. We still don't have a big who is good at setting an effective screen.

Reportedly, they're going to let teams be more physical this season so it will be good to get it sorted out sooner rather than later.

[jbk1234]

I'm more concerned about the defense than the offense. We looked unorganized all night.

Its ridiculously early, but after three seasons of struggling to score against physical and/or aggressive defenses, it would be nice if there was evidence of a plan B which accounted for the other team trying to make plan A a lot harder.

[JonFromVA]

They looked really meh, but pre-season ... so ... we'll see.

[jasonxxx102]

Our starters (sans Strus) have played a lot of minutes tonight and it's been pretty underwhelming. The Pistons are playing really physically and daring the officials to call a foul on every possession (the officials are not doing this). In any case, they've been pretty effective at disrupting the Cavs offense.

Toughness has been an issue for 3 postseasons in a row. It is also what other fan bases clown our players about.

Not sure coaching can do much about that.

It's disconcerting that Mobley isn't responding to being.fouled like that in his 4th year. Garland's physical limitations are what they are (although I believe he had 5 steals tonight).

Mitchell and Strus are both physical. Allen can be
However, aside from the PED version of TT, we haven't really had a guy who can come on the court and make the officials think about just how far they want to let things go. We still don't have a big who is good at setting an effective screen.

Reportedly, they're going to let teams be more physical this season so it will be good to get it sorted out sooner rather than later.

I think Mobley is just soft.

3 years we've heard "he's gonna be more aggressive" and it lasts for a month or a few games and he just goes back to deferring and letting guys body him.

One thing I've noticed (and maybe this was just a JB thing) but Mobley barely ever attacked mis matches. He would get stood up by smaller stockier players instead of lowering his shoulder and initiating contact